Bilingualism Has On The Mind Essay - 1810 Words

From a young age I could remember my grandmother scolding my mother for not teaching me to speak Spanish fluently. I always questioned the importance of being bilingual, like how would this every help me in a world where English is becoming the native tongue. Before I stumbled across the research done on bilingualism I had very little to none background knowledge on bilingualism. I thought the only outcome of being bilingual or multilingual is you get to socialize with other people from other backgrounds and maybe have more opportunities to a more variety of jobs. Needs less to say I greatly underestimated the importance bilingualism has on the mind, in school and in life itself. After reading tremendous amount of research, I have a better insight, on how bilingualism can change one’s life and more importantly the change it has on the structure of the mind. I have discovered how the mind of someone who is bilingual works, also the impacts bilingualism has on the mind and most importantly how bilingualism can essentially pave a way to success in education and learning. It has been well documented that when someone who is bilingual, speaks, hears or sees a word, - the use of one language - the other language is â€Å"active at the same time† (Marian and Shook, Cerebrum, 2012). This is called co-activation; this is when bilinguals use one language, the other is also in use. For example, when a person starts to hear a word such as â€Å"can† it â€Å"will likely activate words like â€Å"candy†Show MoreRelatedBilingual Education And Bilingualism1102 Words   |  5 PagesBilingual Education and Bilingualism The United States of America is host to a large population of immigrants from all over the globe. For this reason, bilingual education has been a topic of discussion for decades, as children who have migrated with their families need an adequate education that will allow them to succeed. In order to provide English language learners (ELLs) with the best educational experience, it is important to recognize that bilingual education and bilingualism can support academicRead MoreBilingualism Does Improve Brain Functioning919 Words   |  4 Pagescan deviate from the main language spoken, bilingualism does improve brain functioning, because your brain has to work harder to understand two languages simultaneously. This keeps the mind fresh, it requires the ability to switch from one language to another without losing detail of what topic is being spoken about, and it forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, which in turn works out the brain and strengthens its cognitive muscles. Bilingualism would definitely fall within the behaviorRead MoreBilingualism As A Negative Attribute935 Words   |  4 PagesBilingualism was once seen as a negative attribute. Experts such as doctors, psychologists, teachers, and more were firm believers in that bilingualism was capable of causing more bad than good in the minds of multicultural people, and especially children (Arsenian 1945). It was once believed that having knowledge of two distinct languages in one brain could lead to â€Å"mental confusion, inadequate mastery of either language, and cultural up rootedness† (Arsenian 1945: 69-70). According to the articleRead MoreBilingualism in the Classroom1062 Words   |  5 Pagesquasi-proverb translates to language as well: a language that is learned and used regularly from a young age is probably better ingrained into the mind of its user than one learned late and used sporadically. It has been made evident through research by Bialystok, Craik, and Luk that there ar e immense neurological advantages that come from bilingualism. Also, as stated by Martha Nussbaum, proficiency in more than one language offers fresh cultural perspectives, which may be important to the progressRead MoreWhy Immigrants Have A Higher Incidence Of Schizophrenia933 Words   |  4 Pagesimmigrants would have a higher incidence of psychopathology like schizophrenia, developmental disorders in children, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety (Whitley 1073). Many of these issues compound after migration has taken place to manifest what has been called social defeat. According to Whitley, social defeat is an umbrella term that refers to various sociocultural (and economic) acute events and chronic processes often experienced by immigrants (1074). This umbrella termRead MoreBilingualism : A Mental Advantage1597 Words   |  7 PagesBilingualism: A Mental Advantage Bilinguals are often praised by employers for their multi-language skills. With the push for children and adults to become bilingual there is an increase of teaching all around the world. While many are raised bilingual there are still some places that lack in the teachings. The advocators for bilingualism show that the teaching is truly worth it because of all of the benefits in becoming bilingual. While it is clear that there are benefits in regards to communicationRead MoreShould Americans Be Required For Learn Spanish As A Second Language?1208 Words   |  5 Pagesdocuments written in English, however English is not our official language nor has it ever been. America is a â€Å"melting pot† in which English is the most prominent language, followed closely by Spanish. Requiring Americans to learn Spanish is a great controversy; I strongly believe that it should be a requirement, because it improves academic achievements, career success, and cultural and social understand ing. The controversy has great counter arguments such as the double standard Americans are held toRead MoreBilingualism And Bilingualism1307 Words   |  6 Pagesthe United States, where English is pre-dominantly used as a single language, a large number of people using non-English languages at home have increased by 140% since 1980. Thus, bilingualism is an extensive cultural, linguistic, and cognitive phenomenon that is extensively carried out in modern society. Bilingualism bridges the understanding of the world around us, communicating with others, promoting the sharing of cultural phenomena. Many bilingual speakers employ more than two language repertoireRead MoreCafs Irp975 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Research question: ‘What role does bilingualism play in educational development? Hypothesis: In my opinion bilingualism plays a major role in the educational development of children. This is because research has shown that children who are fluent in their home language are more successful in learning a second language. Furthermore, being bilingual offers greater sensitivity to language, more flexibility in thinking and better ear for listening. It also improves a child’s understandingRead MoreBilingualism Paper772 Words   |  4 PagesBilingualism Paper ENG/380 10-8-10 Simultaneous bilingualism describes a situation in which a child learns more than one language from birth, meaning they are spoken to in both languages on a regular basis. If this occurs throughout the final stages of language development, the child will be able to fluently speak and understand both languages; both languages are considered the child’s first speaking language. On the other hand, sequential bilingualism occurs when a second language is not learned