Myers Scotton Ch1

03/12/2024

Myers Scotton Ch1 

        Bilingualism is the ability to speak more than one language, isn't it? Our perception of bilingualism will depend a great deal on our nationality or where we are living. Those North Americans who are monolingual in English have a hard time comprehending what another language consists of or how people can manage two languages. According to the author, "Being bilingual" doesn't imply complete mastery of two languages. Further, speakers are rarely equally fluent in two languages. All humans of normal intelligence speak at least one language.

       In Europe, people at least speak two languages. In fact, typical Europeans in nations with a firmly established single national language used to think of becoming bilingual as not the by-product of everyday life, but rather a part of formal education.  Furthermore, bilingualism is a natural out­come of the socio-political forces that create groups and their boundaries. Some people learn a second language just because they like to learn languages or are attracted to a certain culture, but most L2 learners expect to benefit by improving their lives in a material sense. In Europe, people at least speak two languages. In fact, typical Europeans in nations with a firmly established single national language used to think of becoming bilingual as not the by-product of everyday life, but rather a part of formal education. 

       Certainly, the rise of English as the world's major lingua franca since the end of World War II (especially after the 1950s) has affected in two opposite ways the degree to which people become new bilinguals. As a consequence English became a lingua and people would not give up using their native languages under no circunstancies.  Languages often are the single most important symbol of group identity. It serves as a positive badge of identification.

       To sum up, bilingualism is not  only about understanding a second language, but about how that language influences our lives, cultural and social aspects that are involved. It tells us something about the genetic potential of humans too. Besides, nobody can't avoid having bilingualism impinge on their life due to the global world spins on communication, new technologies, etc. So, interacting with a second language will affect us all sooner or later.