Note on BILINGUALISM:
A bilingual is a person who can speak two or more languages with equal or less equal proficiency. A society is called bilingual or multilingual if the people there speak more than one language. Bilingualism involves the study of two or more languages at the same time. Bloomfield considered bilingualism as “the native-like control of two languages” Haugen broadened this to the ability to produce “complete meaningful utterances in the other language”. While Mackey considers bilingualism as the alternate use of two or more languages by the same individual
The problem of bilingualism arises when the mother tongue proves to be insufficient for the complexity, variety, and international teamwork of modern knowledge. This gives rise to the need for a second language to serve the purpose. The study of an international language along with the study of the mother tongue becomes imperative in order to enable people to gain technical knowledge and benefit from foreign stores of knowledge.
Kinds of Bilingualism
Additive bilingualism and subtractive bilingualism are two main kinds of bilingualism that can be discussed briefly under
I. Additive bilingualism:
When learning a second language doesn’t interfere with the learning of a first language, both languages are developed. This is called Addictive Bilingualism. In learning a first additive bilingualism, teachers incorporate a learner’s first language (L1) into their instructional practices. Ideally, students learn the curriculum through their native language while simultaneously learning English. Additive bilingualism enables students to learn a second language while reinforcing their first language. In essence, students are adding a language to their repertoire, thus it is addictive language.
II. Subtractive Bilingualism:
When learning a second language interferes with the learning of a first language, the second language replaces the first language. This is called Subtractive Bilingualism. This is commonly found in children who emigrate to a foreign country when they are young, especially in cases of orphans who are deprived of their fry aze is bilingualism, student learns a second language at the expense of their first language. Proponents of this method view the two languages as opposing forces, believing the language input. This can be contrasted to additive bilingualism. A subtractive target language should replace the native language, resulting in monolingualism rather than bilingualism.
Bilingualism in Pakistan:
About half of the world’s population is multi/bilingual. It is, in fact, very hard to find a monolingual community or society like Japan, etc. While talking about the sub-continent in general and especially Pakistan, we come to know that we are a People multilingual community. The problem of bilingualism or multilingualism also exists in Pakistan. We use Urdu as a language of communication between different native domestic language speakers, thus Urdu works as a lingua Franka. We use domestic languages at the local level such as Punjabi, Hindko, Barahwi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, filing Saraiki, Kashmiri, etc and we use English as a foreign language. People of Pakistan are bilingual or generally multilingual.
Urdu is not fully developed yet to fulfill the needs of our people. In order to make up for this difficulty, English, Arabic, and other languages are also studied, besides various regional languages. Our students are, therefore, not as fortunate as those of the European countries who have to study only one language
Advantages of Bilingualism
The following are the main advantages of Bilingualism:
1. Cultural Value: The study of a second language like English provides an opportunity to keep into the cultural heritage of the other nations. The study of its literature helps us to understand their culture and traditions.
2. Promotes International Understanding: The study of Literature on foreign languages involves the study of customs institutions habits, history, and cultural traditions of foreign nations. This helps to bring nations closer and promotes International understanding, which leads to international teamwork in various fields of life.
3. Develops the Intellectual Faculties: The study of two or me re than two languages helps a man to get rid of his narrow-mindedness. This helps in developing the intellectual faculties of a person and he starts looking beyond his own limited world.
4. Necessary for the Teachings of Modern Science: In Pakistan, people have to study English in addition to the national language as their home languages are not fully developed for the teaching of the modern sciences. Bilingualisı ı is indispensable for all developing countries as a condition of existence. This also helps to enrich our national languages in this respect.
5. No extra Burden: It has been agreed that bilingualism causes an extra burden on the student’s mind. Modern research contradicts this and shows that a child is capable of learning more than one language.
6. No hindrance in L1 Growth: H.E. Palmer suggests that bilingualism in no way hinders the growth of the national language. Teaching a second language never affects the first language of a people (nation).
7. Helps to develop the national language: The study of a second language is also useful in the development of the first language. Our own language can benefit from the storehouse of the foreign language.
8. Healthy effect on Mind: According to the findings of an international seminar in Colombo in 1953, the study of a second language has a healthy effect on the development of the mind. The study of a second language should have its place in every system of education.
Disadvantages of Bilingualism
The following are the main disadvantages of Bilingualism:
1. Lack of Power of Expression: There is no doubt that bilingualism exercises an unfavorable influence on intelligence and thus weakens the power of free expression of thought. Mr. Smith remarks that Monoglot (learning one language) children show better results than bilingual children do. Children learning more than one language lack the power of expression and lag behind in learning things quickly.
2. Hindrance in the Growth Mind: A Dutch educationist observes that bilingualism delays the development of language and consequently exercises an unfavourable influence on the intelligence of the child. The students have to work harder to learn to two languages simultaneously.
3. Emotional Instability: National language is an expression of intimate experiences, emotions, and associations. On the contrary, they could not think properly in foreign languages. In this way, their emotional experiences find no place in their thinking and this causes emotional instability.
4. Hindrance in the Growth of L1: It has been argued that the teaching of a second language hinders the development of the first language. Students are likely to learn a foreign language at the expense of their own language.
5. Danger to Cultural Identity: As already pointed out, the study of a second language may depend upon the growth of the national language. In that case, not only his national existence but also his cultural identity may be in danger.
6. Negative Attitudes: Bilingualism gives birth to negative attitudes and communal differences in the mind of the learner.
7. An Extra Burden: Learning a foreign language along with the national language involves a lot of hard work and one can feel the strain of learning two languages Simultaneously. We can, therefore conclude that the study of a second language is an extra burden on the students’ shoulders.