We have been talking about bilingualism for a while now but do we really know what it is? This term can often be thrown around without knowing what it truly means. There are a lot of assumptions that people make when using the term in conversation or while referring to others. In this two-part blog post, we will discover what bilingualism means, we will explore what types of bilingual individuals exist and we will note a very important aspect of bilingualism.
What is Bilingualism?
When we say someone is bilingual, it means these individuals have the ability to speak and understand two languages proficiently to some degree (continue on to see what I mean). This broad term can be used for individuals who acquire a second language in their lifetime, regardless of age. Multilingualism is when more than two languages are know proficiently, although some might use trilingualism for three languages.
Types of Bilinguals: Fluency
Defining and categorizing bilingualism can be done based on the fluency of the individual. When defining based on this category, there are four subcategories: additive, subtractive, receptive and subordinate bilingualism.
Additive: This type is when the individual uses one language to learn another. Often, children who emigrate to a foreign country will become additive bilinguals as they use their native language at home while learning a second in school. This type will not have the learned language interfere with the native one.
Subtractive: This type can follow a similar pattern but the native language does not get reinforced at home, somewhat abandoning their heritage language. For adults, this likely happens when they learn a third language and the second is not practiced.
Receptive: This type can also be referred to as passive bilingualism, where the speakers understand one language but are not able to efficiently use it. Individuals who are receptive bilinguals typically learn two languages growing up but, for one reason or another, lost one of them over the years. This often happens due to moves to another country.
Subordinate: This type is more common among adults who learn a second language. They grew up with their mother tongue and use it to learn a second language as an adult. They heavily rely on their mother tongue to learn their second language and they stay well separated.
Types of Bilinguals: Learning Environment
When we look at the context, how and in what environment the learner acquired their two languages, we have a different classification. The two types are compound and coordinate bilingualism.
Compound bilingualism: This type applies to bilinguals who learned their two languages at the same time, using them at home and at school. Children of bilingual parents often are compound bilinguals as they learn vocabulary and grammar for both languages at the same time. While still young, they might speak and mix words from their languages before they are able to effectively distinguish between the two.
Coordinate bilingualism: This type means learning two languages in different places, such as one at home and one at school. When this separation exists, the child is better able to separate the languages with a clear distinction based on the environment.
Next week we will explore the types of bilingualism when classifying based on when the second language was acquired. We will also explore what biliteracy means and why it is important. Stay tuned!
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