BILINGUALISM AND ARTICULATION OF LANGUAGE 7
Running head: BILINGUALISM AND ARTICULATION OF LANGUAGE 1
Bilingualism and Articulation of Language
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Institutional Affiliation
Introduction
The term bilingualism refers to the ability to use more than two languages, where an individual utilizes these languages depending on the underlying opportunities. The aspect of bilingualism is often a result of learning such languages due to exposure to different cultures and diverse linguistic settings (Roeper, 2011). Essentially, while the idea of bilingual advantages stands out especially about the ability to exhibit executive control, it is also notable that bilingualism may have specific underlying implications on an individuals’ sound production. The assertion forms the basis of this research, where the focus will be on the possible correlation between bilingualism and speech disorders. In particular, this research will attempt to evaluate the articulation concerns of bilingual students within a learning environment.
Importance of the Topic
The last decade has been critical as linguistic experts seek to understand the underlying relationship between bilingualism and intellect. In fact, the term bilingual advantage is a coinage based on this underlying assumption that those individuals who speak at least two languages often have certain levels of leverage especially when it comes to employment opportunities. The focus has been on the possible positive implications of bilingualism until recently. The importance of this topic, in this case, will be on the potential adverse effects of bilingualism on the ability by students to be articulate in either of the languages they are proficient (Roeper, 2011). The topic is important because it begins to address an area of research that may not have been at the center of linguistic studies in the past. The analysis is also critical because it presents a basis on which to discuss the pedagogical challenges that teachers may face in the course of teaching bilingual students especially in cases where such students develop issues with articulation in the course or learning due to the implications of difficulties caused by speech disorders. The study will, therefore, be critical in setting the ground for future research on bilingual students’ articulation disorders and the possible remedies.
Literature Review
The review of research begins with an evaluation of the study by Hambly, Wrent, Mcleod, and Roulstoner (2013). The research aimed to evaluate the existing knowledge on the implications of bilingualism on the process of acquisition of the English Language among children. The article also aimed at developing a possible remediation trajectory for these bilingual children in the course of providing a treatment for such disorders. In the course of the research, the scholars backdated the data to 50 years, with a specific focus on the infants and children where the base language was English. The study would utilize electronic resources, books, and articles from various scholars and used this critical information to evaluate the thematic connection between these bilingual students’ problems with articulation and the information available about the possible causes of such speech-related disorders. In the end, the research made certain varying conclusions about the relationship between bilingual children and speech disorders.
The scholars noted that there lacked any underlying connection to suggest that bilingual children had a slower rate of development of speech when compared to their monolingual counterparts. Nonetheless, the study also reveals that in the end, the monolingual students end up having a greater extent of language production as compared to their bilingual counterparts. The increased variation, in this case, serves to the show the underlying difference that emerges when a bilingual child is in the course of learning.
The research by Hambly, Wrent, Mcleod, and Roulstoner (2013) observes that there is an underlying connection between the second language and the eventual features that such bilingual students develop as part of their language acquisition process. The assertion justifies the underlying argument that bilingual students often end up struggling with issues related to articulation because of the phonological interactions between the two languages. The evidence, in this case, is that in the course of communications, there are multiple phonological systems when an individual commences the process of learning a new language. Hambly, Wrent, Mcleod, and Roulstoner (2013) confirms that there are specific underlying concerns associated to errors in speech acquisition and speech production, which eventually affects the learners’ ability to be articulate in the process of acquiring a new language.
The issue of bilingualism forms an integral part in the course of assessing the underlying relationship between sound disorders and the acquisition of a new language. Goldstein & Gildersleeve-Neumann (2015) offer an essential background on the possible reasons for the observable emergence of speech-related disorders. The scholars begin by providing an underlying argument about the potential implications of the acquisition of a second language on speech acquisition. The assertion, in this case, points to the fact that that there is an underlying complexity when one considers the interconnection between the various languages.
The research posits that there is a fundamental connectedness between the first and the second language, especially where the learner’s language development process is some years apart. However, the research uses the concerns around the challenges in speech acquisition among bilinguals to assess the possible phonotactic constraints that may emerge because of the process of acquiring a new language. In the research, the scholars posit that there is always a concern around the possible constraints that bilingual students face due to the possible instances of hardships in the acquisition of language a consequence of the phonotactic limitations that are due to the realities of disorders in the speech development process. The scientific considerations, in this case, form the primary variable in the assessment of the phonological cross-linguistic implications.
The research by Goldstein & Gildersleeve-Neumann (2015) in this case confirms that in the end, the possible implications of bilingualism on a learner’s articulation may only have relevance based on three critical areas of concern. The first is the oral and perceptual abilities. The assertion means that in the course of learning a second language, the student may have innate verbal and perceptual disabilities, which eventually tends to affect their ability to master the ability to be articulate in their use of either of the two languages. The second aspect that the authors mention relates to the reality that the outcomes of articulation in a student often involve the element of motivation. Essentially, the argument, in this case, is that the leaner must be motivated to learn this language to embrace it; otherwise, they will lack the motivation to acquire such a language. Finally, the research by Goldstein & Gildersleeve-Neumann (2015) also notes that the aspect of prestige may also determine the possibility of such an individual embracing such a language.
The argument on perceptual repercussions is also observable in the case of the second language sound acquisition of the learner. The article by Pereira (2009) contends that the underlying perceptual consequences of speech acquisition may often be a combination of speech perception and the monolingual perceptual g development, which are often both an indication of the challenges that emerge in the course of learning a second language. In the course of undertaking the research, the researcher used vowel systems and methodology as the basis of the study. The scholar then uses the Dutch and the Brazilian language as the basis for the bilingual research. The phonetic detail in the course of assessment of the linguistic adoption among the learners reveals that a learner who deals with a single language may have a greater sense of mastery of the unique language as opposed to another who embraces at least two languages.
The bilingualism effect in this context may be the basis on which to conclude the cues that are necessary towards dualistic learning. However, Pereira (2009) is keen on noting that the process of language acquisition in this case of bilingual individuals is different between children and adults. The assertion is base on the fact that children tend to be more articulate in their use of multiple languages if the learning process occurs earlier in life as opposed to later in life. Pereira (2009) in this case explains that in the course of language acquisition there is a concern around the duration reliance, which often fails to be part of the conversation when it comes to the assessment of the implications of bilingualism on articulation. The scholar questions the possible impacts of the time spent as part of exposure to the new language and the time that such individuals may need before developing the desired levels of articulation.
The aspect of trans- language within the learning setting stands out as an essential aspect of consideration in the course of operating within a school setting. The research by Creese & Blackledge (2010) provides sufficient ground on which to question the implications of bilingualism on pedagogical learning by focusing on the concept of the “two solitudes” as an essential point of argumentation. The article notes that the reason for the observable constraints associated with bilingualism is due to the apparent failure to have a system that has a focus on developing a bilingual instructional method, which is designed to deal with the phonologic challenges salient in the learning environment. The findings argue in favor of a long-term solution to the issues.
References
Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2010). Translanguaging in the Bilingual Classroom: A Pedagogy for Learning and Teaching? The Modern Language Journal, 94(1), 103-115. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00986.x
Goldstein, B. A., & Gildersleeve-Neumann, C. E. (2015). Bilingualism and Speech Sound Disorders. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(3), 237-244. doi:10.1007/s40474-015-0049-3
Hambly, H., Wren, Y., McLeod, S., & Roulstone, S. (2012). The influence of bilingualism on speech production: A systematic review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 48(1), 1-24. doi:10.1111/j.1460-6984.2012.00178.x
Pereira I. (2009). Bilingualism and Perception. In The Effects Of Bilingualism On Children’s Perception Of Speech Sounds.
Roeper, T. (2011). Minimalism and bilingualism: How and why bilingualism could benefit children with SLI. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15(01), 88-101. doi:10.1017/s1366728911000605