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HI-LING

LINGUISTICS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL

UNIT 2: VIOLATION OF MAXIMS

Lesson 1: What is Bilingualism?

Defintion: Bilingualism and multilingualism are often defined as the use of two or more languages (or dialects) in everyday life. However, we will see in a moment that bilingualism is much more complex than that.

Key Concepts

  • individual bilingualism vs. societal bilingualism

  • balanced bilingualism vs. dominant bilingualism vs. passive/ recessive bilingualism

  • natural bilingualism vs. school bilingualism

  • simultaneous vs. sequential bilingualism

  • early bilingualism vs. late bilingualism

What is Bilingualism?

Bilingualism is a dynamic and multi-faceted concept that involves the ability to use two (or more) languages. It's not just about knowing two languages; it's about being able to switch between them effectively. Bilinguals can switch seamlessly between languages depending on the context of language use, for example the people they are speaking to (family, friends, boss, etc.), the place they are in (home, school, work, etc.) and the topic of communication (e.g. whether a particular language is being used for a particular topic). It is not easy to define the term bilingualism. The main problem is that many researchers do not agree on what it means to "know" a language. For some, simply speaking in two languages is bilingualism, while for other researchers bilingualism means being able to speak and communicate in two languages perfectly. In this lesson, we will look at the term bilingualism from different perspectives. To do this, we will first distinguish between individual and social bilingualism.

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Individual Bilingualism

Individual bilingualism refers to the individual speaker. In the past, only people who had the same level of competence in both languages were considered bilingual. Today, it is assumed that perfect bilingualism is the exception. On the one hand, there are balanced bilinguals who are fully competent in both languages. On the other hand, there are dominant bilinguals, who are more competent in one language than the other. This dominant bilingualism can lead to passive or recessive bilingualism. An example of passive bilingualism could be a scenario where a person understands German and English but only actively speaks English. Recessive bilingualism would mean that a child who has learned for example both French and Spanish from an early age, switches to Spanish over time, as this is now the dominant language for this person in everyday life.

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In addition, individuals can achieve bilingualism through different contexts. Bilingualism can, for example, be obtained naturally in a multilingual family during childhood (natural acquisition or natural bilingualism), or through language teaching (guided bilingualism or school bilingualism). Simultaneous bilingualism occurs when children acquire both languages from an early age (e.g. when both parents speak a different language), while sequential or consecutive bilinguals learn one language first and another later. Bilingualism also classifies individuals into early bilinguals, who were exposed to both languages early in childhood, and late bilinguals, who only become bilingual after childhood.

Exercise 1

Discuss in a group of two to four people and answer questions about the given scenarios. Choose one scenario from the following list that you would like to discuss in the group:

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  1. Job Interview: You are applying for a job at a multinational company where both of your languages are commonly spoken. 

  2. Family Gathering: Your family is hosting a big reunion with relatives who speak different languages. 

  3. Travel Abroad: You are planning a trip to a foreign country where you are proficient in one of the official languages but not the other.

  4. Classroom Experience: Imagine you are a student in a school where bilingual education is promoted.

  5. Language Preservation: You belong to a community where a native language is at risk of being lost.​

 

 

After you have chosen a scenario, you can try to answer the questions below together. Make some notes about your discussion as the scenarios could be discussed in class afterwards.

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  • What challenges/ opportunities might a bilingual individual face in this context?

  • How does the level of bilingualism impact the experience in that situation? 

  • What type of bilingualism (e.g., natural, school, simultaneous, sequential,...) do we possibly encounter in this situation?

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➜ possible solutions for this exercise are at the bottom of this page

Activity 1: Group Discussion

Societal Bilingualism

Societal multilingualism refers to the fact that several languages are spoken in a certain area. This usually occurs in regions where language minorities live, such as in the Basque Country (Spain) or in South Tyrol (Italy). Here, not all inhabitants have the same language as their mother tongue. A less common situation is territorial multilingualism, such as occurs in Switzerland, where each of the national languages is spoken in a separate area (for example Italian in Ticino or French in French-speaking Switzerland). People living in these areas can use their first language in all institutions and situations. 

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Some regions then are so-called language contact zones in which speakers of different languages regularly interact with each other. In many cases, this can lead to linguistic borrowing (the adoption of words or expressions from one language into another) or code-switching (switching between two or more languages within a conversational situation) (see lesson 4).

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Societal bilingualism can have a significant impact on culture (e.g. art, music, cuisine), education (e.g. bilingual education) and communication within a community or country (see Lesson 3).

Exercise 2

Switzerland is a great example for societal bilingualism and multilingualism. Use your devices to research examples of cases of societal bilingualism around the world. Look for regions, cities, or communities where multiple languages are prevalent in daily life. Identify one example and write down some interesting facts about it. Consider aspects such as official bilingualism, multicultural urban areas, language contact zones etc. You can use reliable sources such as government websites, academic articles, or new outlets for your research.

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Keep your notes, as they might be helpful when exploring the other lessons of this module.

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➜ possible solutions for this exercise are at the bottom of this page

Activity 2: Individual 
Research

Final thought for this lesson

To wrap up this lesson, think about this question:

How might being bilingual benefit you and your community, and how can it help bridge cultural gaps in our diverse world?

Solutions for Exercise 1 and 2

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