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Avalute the relationship between memory and the learning process
Bilingualism essays
Bilingualism essays
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Introduction
Learning and memory are related to each other. So, people look at them as one issue. However, the specialists consider them two different processes. You can learn any language by living in the country in which the language is spoken or by studying it at school. Then, you can use your memory to speak that language by retrieving the words that you have memorized. Memory is important to learn anything. It helps you to store the information then you can use them in need. Our memory is not only one process. Psychologically, different kinds of memory are working in humans. Accordingly, different parts of brain are at work. Both memory and learning are depending on each other. So, we should know if learning two languages is going to affect our working memory or not.
Who is bilingual?
Bilingualism is a term which is difficult to be defined. There is no specific definition for bilingualism. One of the definitions is ‘the use of two languages ‘. This definition may include people who only have some expressions, for example, greetings, in the target language. The other definition includes those who have perfect control of both languages. Bloomfield defined the term bilingualism as “native-like control of two languages” (1933, P.55). Mackey has a different view, he defined bilingualism as “ the ability to use more than one language “ (1962, P.52). Weinreich (1953) defined bilingualism, in similar way to Mackey, as “the practice of alternately using two languages”.
Degrees of bilingualism
1- Balanced bilinguals
Lambert et al. who was the first one who used the term balanced bilingual to describe those who have native-like competence. Fishman (1972) argued that one can speak two languages fluently...
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...is to find if there is an effect of bilingualism on working memory.
Some of the studies showed that there is no difference in performance between bilinguals and monolinguals while the others showed that bilinguals did better than monolinguals.
I am agree with those who said that bilingualism affects working memory. I think bilingual participants, in those studies which showed that monolinguals are better than bilinguals, have an identical memory but they did badly because of the verbal tasks.
Bialystok (2009) said that it is better to use nonverbal tasks to compare the memory of monolinguals and bilinguals.
Bilingualism has an influence on the cognitive function. Hutchison said “ Other studies have demonstrated that bilingual children are better at planning and cognitive control. So, Bilingualism affects the working memory. (2010, P.54)
Valdes, G., & Figueroa, R. A. (1994). Bilingualism and testing: a special case of bias. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.
As I have read multiple articles about what bilingualism means, I have come to understand that it’s more complex than just speaking two or more languages. The Merriam-Webster dictionary provides three definitions of bilingualism: (1) the ability to speak two languages, (2) the frequent use (as by a community) of two languages, and (3) the political or institutional recognition of two languages. Espada’s view of bilingualism seems more in line with the third definition, and Rodriguez’s view identifies with the second one. I have developed my personal view as a mix of the second and third definitions. Although Merriam-Webster provides concrete definitions for bilingualism, people like Espada, Rodriguez, and myself have developed their own interpretation of bilingualism based on our cultural backgrounds and community environments.
Mental flexibility is superior in bilingual children since learning two language forces their minds to process two language systems at one time. Bilingualism promotes divergent (a divergent thinker is someone who thinks of many possible solutions to a problem) and creative thinking (Baker, 144-145). This increase of creative thinking gives a wider variety of associations (Baker, 145-146). Bilingualism is also associated with increased meta-cognitive flexibility and better performance on certain perpetual tasks, such as recognizing a perpetual object “embedded” in a visual background or classification tasks (Marian, et al.,1). Their divergent thinking helps relevant aspects of a problem may become more salient to bilingual children since their experiences with two language systems and cultures enable them to incorporate different perspectives to the solution (Bialystok, 2001 pg. 204). Bilingualism promotes divergent thinking that is caused by greater cognitive flexibility.
Donegan, Craig. “Debate over bilingualism.” CQ Researcher. 19 January 1996. 6, 49-72. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Disagreeing the theory that early bilingualism caused delays in lexical development, De Houwer (1995) suggested that bi-and monolingual children's lexical abilities developed very much alike. Meisel (1993) stated that the grammatical development of bi-and monolingual children was the same.
The brain has always had an amazing ability to adapt to its circumstances, an evolutionary edge, coupled with humanities capacity for reason and logic has made for quite a versatile organ. Researching neuroplasticity and non-synaptic plasticity can lead to a better understanding of how the brain adapts as well as how a normal brain functions. Neuroplasticity has the potential to affect brain mechanism related to emotional, motivational and cognitive processes (Crocker, Heller, Warren, O'Hare, Infantolino & Miller, 2012). Another functional and extraordinary ability of the brain is language. Language can define so much about how we think and yet after a brief window of time we find it very difficult to learn new languages. It is certainly not impossible to learn a second or third language but, it seems to be the case that plasticity occurs more with children (Giannakopoulou, Uther & Ylinen, 2013). Perhaps because plasticity can occur during developmental stages when language development is taking place or younger brains are just have more plastic potential. Understanding how plasticity and bilingualism interrelate can give us a better picture of how the brain deals with language, how this stimuli causes neuroplasticity to occur and how that plasticity can effect language functions. Does developing bilingual skills cause brain plasticity?
Hammers, J.F., & Blanc, M.A. (1989). Social and psychological foundations of bilinguality. In P. Mardaga (Ed.), Bilinguality and Bilingualism (pp. 110-133). Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University Press.
There are more than 6,500 languages around the world. We can't control where we are born nor what will be our native language. Although, we can choose which we are going to speak as a second language. Speaking more than one language has obvious benefits in today's internationally growing world, and it has become common to know more than one. Being bilingual is a benefit, that one is never too old nor too ahead to experience and learn from
Learning multiple languages opens doors for people not only in their local communities, but on a global scale. It has also been proven to advance cognition by improving conflict management, executive controls, and sound recognition. Students who are bilingual have two active languages in their minds and create flexible minds by constantly processing and translating in both languages. These mental activities are displayed to be beneficial through impressive academics. For these reasons, bilingual education in the United States is critical. Language is the single most important asset in human civilization. Prior to it, cave men communicated through grunts and images. Not only does language tie people together, but it also has an impact on one’s mentality and personal
First benefit is a better achievement in school and academically. Studies show that bilingual children have better reading and writing skills, also easily can learn third language. Carey Myles says: "Bilingualism has been linked to a variety of positive cognitive benefits, including early reading, improved problem-solving skills, and higher scores on the SATs, including the math section." Myles also claims that bilingual children have been shown to demonstrate "better listening perception" and that they "recognize that language is symbolic and are more skilled in communication” (2003). Also,research found that bilingual kids are able to better concentrate, stay focused on a subject in a classroom. Because this is an important factor, these children have a greater readiness and success in school. (Lust, B., 2006).
In my case, I speak three languages, but this time I am going to focus on the ones that I am in touch with most of the time. Spanish is my mother language and my second language is English, consequently, I am a bilingual person for all people who does not know what is being bilingual. According to Myers (2006), being bilingual is not only the ability of understanding a language, but learning how to produce it and also, deciding where you can use a certain way of language depending on the context you are. This is the real bilingual I am.
Working memory involves temporarily storing information as well as temporarily manipulating information. Thus, working memory is essential to learning a new language since it involves both temporarily remembering information as well as manipulating the information (as in producing the sounds just learned). Some languages have shorter phonemes, which may be the reason why it would be easier to remember some things in some languages rather than others. The average number of phonemes in English is 2 compared to 3 in Spanish. Thus, WM is crucial to learning languages, however “WM is not a unitary process and different subsystems can be distinguished; at least, (a) an executive frontal process, and (b) a memory storage process related to the left temporal lobe,” according to Ardila (“Working Memory” 2014, p. 229). As a result, different subsystems of WM may work differently depending on whether it is the first language learned (L1) or the second, L2. There is evidence that WM in L2 are significantly more difficult than in
There is a “CORELATION” between the effects of “BILINGUALISM AND THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN”. BILINGUALISM is actually the two languages which are spoken in single family or rather it is imposed on children to learn parent’s two different languages. BILINGUALISM has both Positive and Negative effects on the Child’s Linguistic, Cognitive and Educational Development. Before discussing the impacts of bilingualism, another concept that is the concept of SECOND LANGUAGE is necessary to be differentiated from bilingualism. ”SECOND LANGUAGE IS THE LANGUAGE WHICH IS LEARNT AFTER BEEN MASTER ALREADY IN ONE LANGUAGE”.
The development of the brain of a bilingual individual is better than a monolingual individual. Few years ago, researchers from the University of Washington (as cited in Klass, 2011, para 4.) found that the brains of bilingual infants (from families where two languages were spoken) are able to discriminate the different of the phonetic sound of the languages they usually heard when they grew up than monolingual infants in where their brains were adapted to only identify their mother tongue only. Dr. Patricia Kuhl, one of the members of this research team thus believe that bilingual education can shape infants’ brains and keep them ready for future challenges. Concurrently, a renowned psychologist, Dr. Ellen...
This remarkable skill of bilingualism will generously aid the student with a unique advantage when taking a variety of standardized tests, such as the Scholarly Aptitude Test or the American College Test (The Benefits of Second Language Learning). The research team of Margaret Bruck, Wallace E. Lambert, and Richard Tucker from their book, Bilingual Schooling through the Elementary Grades: the St. Lambert Project at Grade Seven, has found that, “People who are competent in more than one language consistently outscore monolinguals on tests of verbal and nonverbal intelligence” (The Benefits of Second Language Study). Although Bruck, Lambert, and Tucker uncover this from native English speakers, it can be adapted to non-native English speakers because it applies to bilingual students as a whole, and students who complete bilingual education programs will be