Category: Book

The book article “The bilingual brain: language, cultura and identity” by Nairan Ramirez-Esperanza and Adrian Garcia-Sierra” was published in July 2014 (as part of the Oxford Handbooks) and begins with the fact that many immigrant parents would teach their child to not speak their native language because English was thought to be “the gateway to becoming a part of American Society” (2). However, there has been a huge push for parents wanting their child to be bilingual in the recent years. Bilingualism is defined as “the ability of an individual to speak two languages” (2). The book discusses three characteristics involved in bilingualism: “age of second language acquisition, competence in first and second languages, and cultural identity” (2). Simultaneous bilinguals learn from an early age at the same time, second language learners are those who learn a different language after 3 years of age. Language competency is defined in different ways but can include “listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing” (3). Cultural identity is involved since cultures are associated with languages but not culture is not always internalized. BII stands for when bilinguals can integrate and find compatibility between their two cultures. This usaully depends on how much the native language is associated with social status. Also, I found the following interesting: “Hong and colleagues (Hong, Morris, Chiu, & Benet-Martínez, 2000, see also chapter 2 in this volume) showed that biculturals are able to switch their perceptions in response to cultural cues: Chinese-American biculturals display more internal attributions when primed with American icons (e.g., American flag, Superman), and more external attributions when primed with Chinese icons (e.g., Chinese dragon, Great Wall)” (3).

Being bilingual is a norm in many countries, in 2006 a study found that 50% in Europe spoke to converse in two languages and almost 30% can do an additional language, while in the U.S. 80% speak only English. While there has been a growth in language since then, this is shocking since the U.S. is multicultural. A great cause is the belief that developing two languages can cause a cognitive delay, as well as a delay in speech. Code-switching (switching between two languages) was seen as a sign of confusion. As a result of limiting multiple languages, even maintaining cultural traditions are difficult. Empirical studies have found no difference between the “achievement of developmental milestones in a variety of areas, from babbling to word prosecution” of bilinguals compared to monolinguals (6). There was a higher amount of English words for babies of 18-30 months old monolinguals, but there is a similar growth if seen when summing up the words from two languages for bilinguals.

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My guiding questions are: How is the bilingual brain developed? and What are the advantages of a bilingual brain? This text answers these questions since it describes what it means to be bilingual, how bilingualism is developed and challenges misconceptions regarding how learning two langues slows down connotative development.

Book Excerpt Source:
Ramírez-Esparza, N., & García-Sierra, A. (2014). The Bilingual Brain: Language, Culture, and Identity. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199796694.013.012