5 MYTHS ABOUT BILINGUALISM | Let's get things straight!
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker addresses common myths about bilingualism, emphasizing that bilingualism is not rare and can be achieved at any age, regardless of native fluency. They debunk misconceptions about accents and language mixing, explaining that while children might mix languages initially, they eventually learn to separate them. The speaker also clarifies that code-switching is not a sign of poor bilingualism but a natural part of being multilingual. The video aims to clarify misinformation and provide a better understanding of bilingualism.
Takeaways
- 🌐 Bilingualism is not a rare phenomenon; about 50% of the world population speaks more than one language, contrary to common myths.
- 👶 Bilingualism is not only possible from birth; people can become bilingual by learning additional languages later in life, as demonstrated by the example of Joseph Conrad.
- 🗣️ Bilinguals may have accents in their languages, dispelling the myth that true bilinguals speak without any accent in both languages.
- 👶🌐 Children learning two languages may initially mix them, but as they grow and become more proficient, they typically separate the languages and stop mixing them.
- 🔄 Code-switching or code-mixing is not a sign of poor bilingualism; it can be a natural part of bilingual speech, especially when words from one language better convey the intended message.
- 🤔 Bilinguals are selective in their language mixing, doing so only when communicating with those who understand both languages, ensuring effective communication.
- 📚 The video aims to clarify misconceptions about bilingualism and provide a better understanding of what it means to be bilingual.
- 🌟 The speaker emphasizes that bilingualism can be a part of everyday life for many people, regardless of their level of fluency or accent.
- 🌍 The speaker highlights that bilingualism is common in many countries, such as India and South Africa, and not just in Western countries.
- 👥 Bilingualism is defined broadly in the video, including people who speak two or more languages in their daily lives, even if they are not perfectly fluent.
- 📖 The video script is educational, aiming to inform viewers about the realities of bilingualism and challenge common myths.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is to debunk common myths about bilingualism.
What does the speaker define as bilingualism?
-The speaker defines bilingualism as the ability to speak two or more languages in everyday life, regardless of fluency or accent.
Why does the speaker believe that bilingualism is not a rare phenomenon?
-The speaker believes bilingualism is not rare because many countries around the world, such as India and South Africa, have people who grow up speaking multiple languages.
What is the estimated percentage of the world population that speaks more than one language according to research papers mentioned in the video?
-According to research papers mentioned in the video, it is estimated that about 50% of the world population speaks more than one language.
What is the myth about bilingualism being only possible since birth, and why is it considered untrue?
-The myth is that bilingualism is only possible if one has learned two or more languages since birth. It is considered untrue because people can become bilingual by learning languages later in life, as exemplified by the speaker's own experience with English and Joseph Conrad's learning of English in his 20s.
Why do some people believe that real bilinguals don't have an accent when speaking their languages?
-Some people might believe that real bilinguals don't have an accent because they expect fluent language use without any influence from other languages. However, the speaker points out that even native bilinguals can have accents when speaking their languages.
What does the speaker say about language mixing in child bilingualism?
-The speaker explains that language mixing is a common occurrence in early stages of bilingualism among children, but as they grow up and become more proficient, they usually separate the languages and stop mixing them.
Why does the speaker think that code mixing or code switching is not a sign of bad bilingualism?
-The speaker believes that code mixing or code switching is not a sign of bad bilingualism because it can be a natural part of bilingual communication, especially when it helps to convey an idea more accurately.
What is the speaker's view on bilinguals mixing languages when speaking to someone who doesn't understand both languages?
-The speaker states that bilinguals will not mix languages when speaking to someone who doesn't understand both languages, as it would hinder communication.
What does the speaker suggest about the ability of bilinguals to control their language use?
-The speaker suggests that bilinguals have the ability to control their language use and differentiate between their languages, as there are no reports of bilinguals being unable to do so.
What is the speaker's native language, and which language did they learn later in life?
-The speaker's native languages are Portuguese and French, and they learned English later in life.
Outlines
🗣️ Debunking Myths on Bilingualism
The speaker begins by introducing the topic of bilingualism and aims to dispel common misconceptions about it. They define bilingualism as the ability to speak two or more languages in everyday life, regardless of fluency or accent. The first myth addressed is the rarity of bilingualism, which the speaker refutes by citing examples of multilingual countries and research indicating that about half the world's population is bilingual. The second myth is that bilingualism is only possible from birth, which the speaker disproves by sharing personal experiences and historical examples, such as Joseph Conrad learning English in his 20s. The third myth discussed is the belief that bilinguals do not have accents, which the speaker counters with personal anecdotes about their own bilingual experiences. The fourth myth is the idea that learning two languages simultaneously leads to language mixing, which the speaker explains is a temporary phase in early bilingual development. Lastly, the speaker tackles the misconception that code-switching or code-mixing is a sign of poor bilingualism, arguing that it is a natural part of bilingual communication when done with appropriate context and audience.
👋 Sign Off and Upcoming Video Tease
The speaker concludes the video by summarizing the main points discussed and inviting viewers to engage with the content through likes, subscriptions, and comments. They also hint at the next week's video, creating anticipation for continued viewership. The sign-off is casual and friendly, with a reminder of the music that has been playing throughout the video, indicating a light-hearted and enjoyable viewing experience.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Bilingualism
💡Myths
💡Accent
💡Code-switching
💡Language Mixing
💡Native Bilingual
💡Non-native Bilingual
💡Fluency
💡Misinformation
💡Language Proficiency
Highlights
Introduction to a video on bilingualism aiming to clarify misconceptions.
Definition of bilingualism as speaking two or more languages in everyday life, regardless of fluency or accent.
Myth debunking: Bilingualism is not a rare phenomenon, with an estimated 50% of the world population being bilingual.
Common myth that bilingualism is only possible from birth is challenged.
Example given of learning English as an adult and still achieving bilingual proficiency.
Myth that bilinguals do not have an accent in their languages is refuted.
Personal example of having a French accent when speaking Portuguese and an English accent in English.
Exploration of the myth that learning two languages simultaneously leads to language mixing.
Clarification that language mixing is a temporary phase in early bilingual development.
Discussion on the myth that code-switching is a sign of poor bilingualism.
Personal perspective that code-switching can enhance communication when done appropriately.
Emphasis on the importance of context in bilinguals' language mixing and the need for understanding by the listener.
Final myth addressed: Bilinguals cannot differentiate between their languages if they mix them.
Assurance that bilinguals can control their language use and there are no reports of inability to differentiate languages.
Conclusion of the video with an invitation for likes, subscriptions, and comments from the viewers.
Sign-off with a promise to see viewers in the next video.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello you guys today I'm going to do
another video related to bilingualism
and I hope you liked it if you haven't
watched my first video on bilingualism
where I talk about my definition of
bilingualism then what are you waiting
for
chop-chop come on if this is the first
video you watch of me you're going to
think I'm greedy so if you've seen the
title of the video you might have
guessed that I'm going to talk about
myths on bilingualism today because it's
so much misinformation on the topic that
I thought that today would kind of try
to clarify the entire situation corny
linguistic man okay that was not
actually the funny sorry
something I'd like to clarify for the
purpose of this video and to avoid
ambiguity is that bilingualism I mean
people that speak two or more languages
in their everyday lives and it doesn't
matter if they're not perfectly fluent
in these languages or if they might have
an accent or if they haven't learnt it
from birth one of the most common myths
on bilingualism is that bilingualism is
a rare phenomenon and it's simply not
true there are so many countries around
the world such as India or South Africa
where people grow up speaking many
languages it's only in Western countries
such as the US from Portugal Spain etc
etc that people tend to only speak one
language
generally speaking research papers on
bilingualism estimated are about 50% of
the world population speaks more than
one language so it's not that rare after
all
another myth that's very common is that
bilingualism is only possible if you've
learnt your two or more languages since
birth so basically if you're two or more
languages or your native languages I
suppose for this myth it kind of depends
on how you're designed bilingualism but
if you take my definition of
bilingualism that I explained at the
beginning of the video then this myth is
untrue I mean for example me I clearly
unbaling well in English because I speak
it almost well every day actually and I
have been for over three years and how
about the polish author Joseph Conrad
who only learned English when he was in
his 20s and wrote one of the most
his books ever part of darkness the
third myth I'd like to talk about is the
fact that some people think that real
bilinguals don't have an accent when
they're speaking their two languages
well me for example and I'm not trying
to make the video about me
it's just that I'm the only example I
can think of I'm technically two kinds
of bilingual
I'm a native bilingual because I speak
Portuguese and French natively and when
I speak Portuguese - Portuguese people
they often notice a French accent I
speak to them nothing vague though they
kind of they can say like you know the
native speakers so whoever sounds a bit
different they will know and I'm also a
non-native bilingual in that I've
learned English when I was older and I
clearly have an accent honesty English
as you might be able to tell so yeah
wrong
the fourth one I'd like to talk about
and it has to do more with child
bilingualism is that some people think
that learning two languages at the same
time will lead to language mixing this
myth is not exactly wrong but it's not
true either let me explain
I think this myth comes from the idea
that bilingual children when they're
very young they tend to mix the
languages because they're still learning
so maybe I do early stages of
bilingualism they will mix up the
languages they will not be able to tell
the difference between English and
French for example but eventually as
they grow up and as they get more
proficient in the two languages they
will end up separating the two languages
and they won't mix them anymore
I mean clearly I'm not speaking
Portuguese or French to you right now am
I the last mess I'd like to talk about
in this video is the fact that some
people think that code mixing of code
switching is a sign of bad bilingualism
code switching of code mixing is
basically when a bilingual will mix
their languages so for example if I said
you work with oxidant I recognise any at
six o'clock then I've mixed three
languages in one sentence personally I
don't think it's a bad thing at all I'm
sure you will agree with me sure
bilingual but in my case I sometimes mix
languages when for example if I start my
sentence in English and then there's
this word in French that exactly
reflects what I'm trying to say then I
will want to use it in my English
sentence because it just like translates
my idea better I mean of course if the
person I'm talking to doesn't speak
then I'm not going to speak French to
them otherwise like they want understand
me so that would just be stupid so it's
important to specify that bilinguals
will not mix languages if they talk to
people that don't attend the two or more
languages because otherwise
communication won't happen so I would
say that generally speaking it would
only be bad if the bilingual could not
control the way he or she makes their
languages and that I know of no one has
ever done that so it hasn't been
reported that I've been lingual cannot
differentiate between their two
languages oh yeah that's it for the
weekly video I hope you enjoyed it and
if you enjoyed the video then please
feel free to like it to subscribe to my
channel to like my Facebook page and
maybe drop a comment if you want and
I'll see you next week bye
[Music]
you
[Music]
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