Bilingualism

Language Ability

Human beings are uniquely equipped for language production. The brain performs all the executive functions (such as information processing and controlling the physical aspects of speech). The diaphragm muscle, lungs, nose, mouth, lips, tongue, and vocal cords are all involved in speech production and regulation. The ear, ear bones, cochlea, brain stem, and auditory cortex are involved in hearing. Facial expressions and hand gestures also play a role in spoken language as well as sign language.

These actions of language performance represent the outward evidence that an individual has language competence. Language competence is the general term that lets us know an individual is proficient in a given language (e.g., that an individual has a mental system established for that particular language and can analyze and produce it). Language abilities are the more specific, direct, and quantifiable evidence that an individual can communicate in a given language.

Language abilities are multidimensional in nature. They include active skills (e.g., speaking and writing) and passive skills (e.g., listening and reading). A person may speak a language but not be able to read in that language or understand the spoken language. An individual may understand others who speak in a given language but not be able to speak it themselves. These abilities can be developed formally (e.g., school, continuing education classes), informally (e.g., contact with another language community such as friends or the media), or through a mixture of both formal and informal methods (e.g., language immersion programs, living abroad).

An individual who can only communicate in one language is referred to as a monolingual (or monoglot). An individual who has developed an approximately equal level of proficiency in her or his language abilities across a variety of situations in both languages is commonly referred to as a balanced bilingual. This is what most people typically think of when referring to bilingual individuals: a person who is equally fluent and has the same knowledge base in two languages. It is important to note that being monolingual may not necessarily be a good reference point to compare with or understand bilinguals.

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