Bilingualism

Myths and Facts

While results of some studies have provided evidence of the advantages of bilingualism, other studies have highlighted the challenges that bilingual individuals face.

One of the most popular myths is the idea that bilingual children present developmental delays. Strong evidence supports the assumption that the capacity to learn multiple languages is natural to all human beings. Studies show that all infants have the capacity to discriminate sounds from different languages and are able to reproduce the sounds and recognize their meanings. For instance, babbling among babies is a natural way to try to reproduce sounds the baby hears. Thus, a baby with a monolingual parent(s) will reproduce the sounds of only one language, whereas babies with a bilingual parent(s) would be stimulated to reproduce sounds for both languages and would be able to differentiate those sounds.

Based on those findings, researchers have suggested that infants who are stimulated to develop bilingual skills at an early age show better attention skills and memory over time. That is, older bilingual infants and children have been reported to have a greater ability to analyze words, meanings and use those words in particular situations. Greater thinking and analyzing skills also allow bilingual children to develop advance problem-solving and attention skills and the capacity to filter important information, compared to those with monolingual skills.

Another myth relates to the assumption that exposing children to two languages will confuse them, and they won't be able to master either. Though the process might be challenging for the children exposed to two languages, there are multiple strategies that researchers and practitioners have recommended to follow to support the positive development of bilingualism. One suggestion is to use a one-parent one-language approach, so that the child will identify the language as part of the relationship with that particular parent, thus facilitating the differentiation of the two languages. Other researchers argue about the advantages of having both parents using both languages at the same time, called “code switching,” so that children would be able to acquire social cues and learn when to use one or the other language based on the social context. Evidence suggests that bilingual individuals often mix languages based on the situation, and that allows them to engage at different levels with family members, relatives, peers, and their community members.

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