LITERATURE REVIEW

Critical Engagement With Bilingualism as an Aspect Of Educational Issues- Literature Review



Critical Engagement With Bilingualism as an Aspect Of Educational Issues- Literature Review

Part 1: Critical Engagement with Bilingualism as an aspect of Educational Issues

The contemporary and critical educational issue that is chosen is Bilingualism as an aspect of Educational Issues. Bilingual education is the type of training that uses two languages of instruction. In the literature, educational and linguistic can often meet up with the concept of bilingual education. UNESCO in 1999 identified the multi-lingual educations an education that uses at least three languages i.e. mother tongue, regional or national language and international language. A bilingual person is someone who knows and uses two languages, or, more specifically, one who speaks, reads, or understands two languages equally well. There are many definitions of bilingualism (Chimbutane, 2011). A person does not have to speak two languages with equal fluency to be considered bilingual, and it is very common that they can express themselves in both languages with some ease and without an accent betraying that the language is not their first. But if one of the two languages is dominant, and one only feels emotionally comfortable using one of them, then only the dominant language may make creative work worthwhile. Myers (2006) stated that one may be able to write business letters in either language without much difficulty, but will find it difficult to write literature.

In general terms, bilingualism is characterized by the alternation of two languages. The problem arises when one wants to define the extent of language competence. Bilingualism is the power possessed by an individual to be able to express in a second language faithfully adapting the concepts and structures of the same without paraphrasing the native language. The bilingual person has the power to be able to express in any of the two languages without difficulty whenever the occasion arises. A bilingual can identify positively with native speakers of both languages, at the same time, native speakers of the two languages they recognize as a member of their own community (Lopez, 2004).

Furthermore, in many investigations, the acquisition of a second language is seen as a referral, or continuation of language development. Several authors believe that the study of the acquisition of a second language and the way in which it develops a bilingual subject can help us to better understand the process of language acquisition in general. The issue of bilingualism is not at all a simple theme. Many people want to have bilingual capacity. Unfortunately, it is not always possible. There are parents who from the earliest days of their child at home, use different languages. There is a myth that it is impossible to become a true bilingual if both languages are not acquired from infancy. However, it is possible to become bilingual at any time of life in childhood, in adolescence and adulthood. It is worth remembering that the majority of bilingual children acquire first one language in their family, so they are ...