Bilingual acquisition of language

What are the two types of bilingual language acquisition?

(a)  

Which of these are possible advantages of a parent speaking their heritage (native) language to their child? (select all correct options)

• It helps to develop their cultural identity

• It helps them to communicate with their wider family and community

• They are more likely to hear richer language from their parent

• It avoids them growing up bilingually

According to Tabors and Snow's (1994) stages of sequential language development what happens first when a young child who has not been exposed to much English before, starts school

(a)  

Why may bilingual speakers make vocabulary 'errors' in their second language?

• Bilingualism means they have delayed language development

• They cannot pronounce some of the sounds in the second language

• Some concepts do not translate directly from one language to another

Answer explanation

Bilingualism DOES NOT cause delayed language!

Although speech sounds can be different in speakers learning English as a second language, this does not affect vocabulary.

Which of the following is true (according to research evidence)?

• Children can learn additional languages more easily than adults

• Adults can learn additional languages more easily than children

• Some aspects of additional language learning can occur at any age, but pronunciation is likely to be age senstitve

• Age has no part to play in language learning - it can occur equally at any age

What languages do you know? (it will only let you add two, so select the two you use most often)