3 ER.

Cuatrimestre
MAESTRÍA EN
ENSEÑANZA
DEL INGLÉS
ELEMENTOS DE SOCIOLINGÜÍSTICA

MEI11309
 Unit VI: BILINGUALISM
TOPIC Most relevant information (7-10 lines)

5.2 What is Bilingualism? . According to Webster’s dictionary (1961) bilingual is defined as “having or using
two languages. In the popular view, being bilingual equals being able to speak two
languages perfectly; this is also the approach of Bloomfield (1953:56), who defines
bilingualism as :the native-like control of two language
5.3 Bilingualism and Diglossia Diglossia comes from the Greek διγλωσσία which reads literally as ‘diglossia’ but is
translated into English as ‘bilingualism’. The first print example of a distinction between
the two came from the German scholar Karl Krumbacher in his book Das Problem der
Modernen Griechen Schriftsprache (1902). Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak
two languages fluently. What is important to note about bilingualism is that it is an
individual experience - simply existing in a bilingual family or community does not
guarantee bilingualism. Likewise, being born in a monolingual family or community
does not prevent one from learning another language and becoming bilingual.
Diglossia, on the other hand, is by definition a community experience. It cannot be
experienced by an individual. Diglossia refers to a community where two different
languages or dialects are used in different situations by every member of the
community. One of these languages/dialects is the formal, and one is the informal.
The formal, also known as the High language, is what is used by speakers in writing,
and only in the most formal spoken situations. The informal, also known as the Low
language, is the most spoken language and is used only in writing designed to
communicate informally. Thus, it makes sense that diglossia can only be experienced
by a community, as an individual would not be understood if switching between two
languages/dialects. Both bilingualism and diglossia require code-switching: the ability
to judge an environment and determine which language/dialect is appropriate. This is
something that speakers of any language already do when deciding between formal
and informal conversation. When bilingualism is experienced by a whole community,
it can be argued that this is diglossia as everyone in that community experiences it.
 For example, many Hispanic communities in America speak both Spanish and
English, and will use English formally, and Spanish informally - which is very similar
to traditional diglossia. Thus, in some cases, bilingualism (in reference to a whole
community) and diglossia are interchangeable terms.
5.4 Types of Bilingualism ❖ There are THREE general types of bilingualism:
❖ Compound bilingual: develops two language systems simultaneously with a
single context.
❖ Coordinate bilingual: learn two languages in distinctively separate contexts.
❖ Sub-coordinate bilingual: learn the secondary language by filtering through
the mother tongue.
5.5 Language planning policies The field of language planning and policy (LPP) is concerned with the policies both
explicit and implicit that influence what languages are spoken when, how, and by
whom, as well as the values and rights associated with those languages.
our major types of language planning are status planning (about the social standing
of a language), corpus planning (the structure of a language), language-in-education
planning (learning), and prestige planning (image)
5.6 Cognitive theories of Bilingualism and ‘Common Underlying Proficiency’ Theory
the curriculum This theory was developed by Jim Cummins, in the early 1980’s. It stated that the
two languages used by an individual, though on the surface apparently separate,
function through the same central cognitive system. “When a person owns two or
more languages, there is one integrated source of thought." (Baker, 1996, p.147 )
The ‘Threshold’ Theory This was first put forward by Toukomaa and Skutnabb-
Kangas in 1977. It suggested that the development of two or more languages in a
balanced bilingual person moves upward through three identifiable levels, crossing
two distinct thresholds in between levels. According to this theory, positive cognitive
advantages are only to be achieved when the first and second thresholds have been
crossed.
5.7 The younger-the-better-language- It’s often thought that it is better to start learning a second language at a young age.
learner fallacy But research shows that this is not necessarily true. In fact, the best age to start
learning a second language can vary significantly, depending on how the language is
being learned. The belief that younger children are better language learners is based
on the observation that children learn to speak their first language with remarkable
skill at a very early age. Before they can add two small numbers or tie their own
 shoelaces, most children develop a fluency in their first language that is the envy of
adult language learners.

References
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Al-Kasimi, , Ali, M. 1977. Linguistics and bilingual dictionaries. Leiden: E. J. Brill.Google Scholar
Bailey, R. W. and Gorlach, M.. (eds.) Forthcoming. English as a world language. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan
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