Bilingualism essay

Bilingualism essay

Linguistic or language proficiency is very critical for an individual to possess the capacity to speak or perform in one or more languages. Although native speakers of a particular language can be fluent without being considered proficient, having the ability to speak fluently two or more languages is considered as language proficiency. The main goal of the bilingual education program is to assist the English language learners to master the state curriculum and teach English to all participating students. This is done through explicit instruction in speaking, listening as well as writing in entire academic areas.

Researches depicts that learning a second language provides a better understanding of individual own culture and language (Romaine, 2013). Bilingualism also enhances student’s creativity, thinking, as well as cognitive, social and analytical development compared to monolingual students. Researches further have shown that being bilingual has several cognitive benefits. Romaine, (2013) suggests that speaking a second language can mean that a person has a better attention span and can multitask better monolinguals. This is because when a person is bilingual, they are constantly switching from one language to another (Romaine, 2013). The critical effects of bilingualism on the brain include improving problem-solving abilities, shaping individual perspective as well as delaying diseases such as Alzheimer’s (Romaine, 2013).  Most recent studies about the brain show that the brains of bilingual people function better and for longer after developing the disease. Such brains are flexible, and the skills develop beyond learning a second language is immeasurable. 

Bilingualism is also beneficial in the world of business. Further, researches also show that bilingual children can make new friends and build strong relationships in their second language and essential personal skills in their increasingly diverse societies. The children can also create connections between cultural differences and similarities that assist them to adjust to new environments. Studies further show that the current world is a mixture or multicultural society whose strength is the capacity of diverse languages and cultures to blend. According to a survey conducted by the European Commission, more than half of the population of Europe speak two or more languages.

Prior & MacWhinney  (2010) state that researches furthermore shows that there are several advantages of being bilingual. For instance, bilingual show higher test scores, sharper mental perceptions, access to more affluent social networks, and better problem-solving skills (Prior & MacWhinney 2010). Additionally, young bilinguals can draw support from mentors in their home language communities, and the dominant culture. Another fantastic benefit of being bilingual is that it improves individual communication skills (Prior & MacWhinney 2010). Besides, being bilingual allow one to travel to and foreign place and communicate effectively with the natives. The fact that one interacts with the natives will make the experience amazing (McLaughlin, 2013). Bilingualism can improve one’s competitiveness in the job market. For instance, knowing a second language can open up new career opportunities and earn more income. It also opens cultural and social opportunities since one is given a new perspective.

On the other hand, being bilingual has some disadvantages such as language fluency delay, whereby someone can take time to understand and communicate well in a newly acquired language (McLaughlin, 2013). Mixing languages may also lead to the dominance of one language over the other, an aspect that can lead to writing and reading associated problems. One can also be passively bilingual since there is the potential of a lack of proficiency in a particular language due to being bilingual (McLaughlin, 2013). Prejudice is also another detrimental aspect of bilingualism that hinders effective communication as well as religious and cultural biases amongst others.

The second language acquisition should be approached through the reading approach. This is because reading, even at a very slow pace exposes students to more sentences, new vocabulary, and grammar per minute than the average, TV show, short class, or a song. Teaching a second language through reading allows students to engage with their teacher cultivating a rich learning experience. The reading approach could increase cognitive function in different professional settings since it allows extensive reading of the second language, which includes benefits such as oral and aural skills, writing and reading competence, vocabulary growth, motivation enhancement, empathy and self-esteem increase (Lichtman, 2018). Additionally, students who read the second language extensively become more autonomous learners in the process (Lichtman, 2018). Good reading skills particularly in phonics reading program, develop spelling. As the students learn to sound out words and letters, the spellings become easier and expansion of vocabulary. Moreover, reading the second language ensures the read new words are put in mind for later use.