Bilingualism: Blessing Or Curse

It goes without saying that nowadays the concept of bilingualism remains one of the most debatable issues among linguists and psychologists. According to the statistics, bilinguals constitute more than half of the world’s population. Due to globalization processes it is envisaged that the number will be only mounting. During the twentieth century bilingualism was believed to have an adverse effect on individuals as it could undermine language processing.

However, modern research provides sufficient evidence that bilingualism has a positive influence on cognition and different aspects of life. To fully comprehend the notion of bilingualism, it is necessary to explain the term. Basically, it implies the ability of a person to actively use more than one language. Nevertheless, it is pointed out that “many researchers set up their own criteria how bilingualism is defined” (Liu, 2013). It is critical to understand that although the concept of bilingualism embraces anyone who speaks two languages proficiently, not all bilinguals are the same. The phenomenon is usually attributed to the children of immigrants for whom the usage of the language is contingent on a situation: they speak L1 with their parents but make a switch to L2 in educational settings. However, an infant may be raised in a bilingual environment where he or she is exposed to two languages from birth.

Hence, the fact whether a person acquires two languages from birth or later might affect the brain distinctly. Some linguists argue that it is only an early childhood, so-called ‘critical period’, when an individual can become bilingual. Nevertheless, it is feasible to become bilingual later provided that a person is industrious in learning and has the appropriate environment (Grosjean, 2010). As the setting plays a significant role in language processing, it is rare that a bilingual has the same level of proficiency in both languages. One language usually tends to prevail and displace another one and thus is regarded as dominant (Liu, 2013). For example, if an immigrant lives in Europe for a while, he or she will be likely to have a shift from L1 to L2.

On the contrary, visiting a native country, this person would be rather more influenced by the environment of L1. The first advantage of bilingualism is that it indeed equips people with certain cognitive skills. The brain of a bilingual works in a different way and needs to be always active so as to incorporate two languages. The amount of distress that the brain is exposed to might cultivate the ability to adapt to unknown situations. In addition, bilinguals have to switch between language codes and thus they are more likely to multitask efficiently (Antoniou, 2019). Apparently, knew an individual a foreign language at a profound level, he or she would have a refined brain system which sometimes refers to brain plasticity. However, unless there is one language a person utilizes for thinking, it is distinct from the brain of a bilingual in which some neurological structures may alter. In their article Kroll et al. (2015) emphasize that “Life as a bilingual appears to affect the ability to ignore irrelevant information, switch between tasks, and resolve conflicting cognitive alternatives”. Hence, bilinguals possess a variety of traits related to mental processes. Another positive aspect of bilingualism is that it might help to combat aging. It would be ludicrous to surmise that bilingual people are not affected by aging-associated diseases at all. Nevertheless, active operation of the brain tends to protect an individual from cognitive decline.

For example, the most common aging-related illnesses that bilingualism strives to hinder are dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Speculating on the correlation between bilingualism and cognitive aging, Antoniou (2019) establishes that according to the research “bi-/multilinguals were diagnosed with dementia 4-5 years later than monolinguals”. Likewise, learning a foreign language seems to make a contribution to the state of brain and is often considered to be one of the constituents of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the change in cognition in the course of ageing among bilinguals may be curbed. There are certain reasons why bilingualism has been perceived negatively. It might stem from the premise that the brain can comprise only one language. Allegedly, bilingual infants encounter ‘linguistic struggle’ which impedes thinking processes. However, such claims cannot be supported owing to the scarcity of data.

There is no doubt that it may take more time for a bilingual to pick a suitable linguistic unit since a person needs to suppress cross-language competition. Nevertheless, the statement that it might negatively affect an individual has not been proven so far. In contrast, it is stressed that not only do bilingual children have a capability of distinguishing speech in two languages, but they also benefit in cognitive development (Kroll et al. , 2015). Finally, bilingualism enhances the way of living from a practical perspective. Advanced command of two or more languages boosts one’s position in a tough job market and makes a CV eye-catching. Moreover, bilingualism provides ample opportunity for traveling and interacting with foreigners. Besides, according to the hypothesis of linguistic relativity, the language a person speaks influences the way he or she perceives the world. The bottom line is that the language is not a system of words but rather a system of notions and thus it may either enable or restrict ideation. In his article The joys and benefits of bilingualism Jones (2018) contends: “The more languages we know, the more agile our conceptual thinking will be”.

On that account, speaking two languages intimates seeing the world from a different perspective. Consequently, a bilingual would be considered a pleasant conversationalist. In aggregate, it is discernible that bilingualism can broaden horizons and make life more appealing. In conclusion, bilingualism is a complex process in brain function which offers a wide range of benefits. Since bilingualism impacts neuroplasticity, it is likely to bolster cognitive skills such as decision-making, multitasking, etc. In addition, bilingualism stimulates brain activity and therefore can prevent aging-associated diseases. Eventually, it tends to supply an individual with competitiveness in the job market and creates open-mindedness. As far as future trends are concerned, there is compelling evidence that the number of bilinguals will be climbing. For example, bilingual schools and kindergartens are currently gaining popularity worldwide. It is true that bilingualism opens up new opportunities and enriches a person’s life.

References

1. Antoniou, M. (2019). The Advantages of Bilingualism Debate. Annual Review of Linguistics, 395-415.
2. Grosjean, F. (2010). Becoming Bilingual. Retrieved from https://www. psychologytoday. com/us/blog/life-bilingual/201011/becoming-bilingual
3. Jones, T. (2018). The joys and benefits of bilingualism. Retrieved from https://www. theguardian. com/commentisfree/2018/jan/21/the-joys-and-benefits-of-bilingualism
4. Kroll, J. F. , Dussias, P. E. , Bice, K. , Perrotti, L. (2015). Bilingualism, Mind and Brain. Annual Review of Linguistics, 377-394.
5. Liu, L. (2014). The Effects of Bilingualism on Infant Language Development: The Acquisition of Sounds and Words. Ultrecht: LOT.