So nice to see this headline from the Pew Research Center showing that, among Latino/a adults in the US, bilingualism is more common than English or Spanish dominance. In a recent survey, 36% of respondents claimed to be bilingual, while 25% spoke mainly English. However, 6 in 10 out of those 25% English dominant speakers also spoke Spanish (that is, they're bilingual too!). And, 38% reported mainly using Spanish. It all makes one question why we continue to use terms like language minority in research with people who speak multiple languages. The reality suggests linguistic forces in the US remain vibrant and we need to move toward additive, not subtractive, terminology.
2 Comments
nice
4/18/2017 06:01:14 am
well
Reply
4/19/2017 03:53:12 am
Bilingualism is commonly defined as the use of at least two languages by an individual. It is a fluctuating system in children and adults whereby use of and proficiency in two languages may change depending on the opportunities to use the languages and exposure to other users of the languages. The system of bilingualism naturally grows in the children living in this type of atmosphere.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
March 2021
Categories |
|