Presentation

By

Muhammad Faheem
Sadaf Saleem

Aminullah
 Introduction
 Defining bilingualism
 Who is a bilingual?
 Factors promoting bilingualism
 Conditions of displacement
 Summing up
 Defining Bilingualism

Bilingualism is defined by various linguists in various ways

some of the most common ones are:
 “Native-like control of two languages” (Bloomfield, 1933,
p.56).
 “Bilingualism refers to the ability to use two languages in
everyday life” (Byers & Lew, 2013).
 “To be able to produce complete meaningful utterances in
the other language” (Haugen 1953).
 “Bilingualism should be thought of as being on a
continuum, where one can have varying levels of
proficiency in two languages, regardless of how and when
they were acquired” (Gottardo & Grant, 2008, p.1).
• Definition put forward by one such as Bloomfield is very strict
and rigid that is having native-like control of two languages. For
instance, it excludes even ones like us who have been working
on English for years, but lack command over it like native
speakers for it is very difficult grabbing command over a
language outside the native community of the target language.
• The question of who is and who is certainly not a bilingual is
harder to reply than it initially shows up. The idea of
bilingualism differs from author to author; accordingly, it leaves
us all dazed.
• After reading and analyzing work and research from experts with
different ways of thinking, I created my own definition.
Bilingualism is to be able to convey and understand messages in
two different languages satisfying all basic needs of
communication. This means, interacting successfully with others
in everyday life situations.
 Critical Age Hypothesis

 This hypothesis presents the notion that all children easily acquire
any language to which they are exposed up about the age of
puberty; after that, acquiring a language becomes more arduous
and more of a conscious procedure.
 Plenty of evidence depict that very young children do acquire
more than one language as long as they are exposed to speakers
of the languages. It is very clear that their ease of acquisition is
generally different from that of their parents in the same situation.
 On the other hand, years of the classroom study of the language in
their home country – still speak with a non-native pronunciation,
even when they are now immersed in their target language.
 Assessing Proficiency

 Who decides that someone is bilingual?

 How professionals assess language proficiency?
 linguistic verities mainly consist of three systems: phonology,
morphology, syntax & lexicon and all L1 speakers have command
over them.
 L2 speakers may have more ability in one two and special
unevenness is seen when it comes to pronunciation skill.
 L2 speakers pay more attention to syntax or grammar and
morphology but not pronunciation which is difficult aspect.
 Within areas of morphology and syntax, bilingual may have good
control of specific grammatical categories but not of others.
 The area in which we seem to expect the least proficiency from a
bilingual and still be willing to label her or him a bilingual is in
mastery of the lexicon (vocabulary) of the L2.
 Two Kinds of Linguistic Competence

 1. Grammatical Competence
 2. Communicative Competence
 Assessing proficiency needs to consider both grammatical and
communicative competence.
 Grammatical competence refers to speaker’s ability to recognize
well-formed and ill-formed sentences.
 Acceptable and unacceptable sentences
 Communicative competence refers to ability to give the grammatical
competence physical shape.
 Communicative competence is sometimes referred to as pragmatic or
sociolinguistic competence, especially when the emphasis is on how
to interpret the speaker’s intended social meaning in a particular
utterance, a meaning that is not the same as the utterance’s literal
meaning.
 Not all speakers have same degree of proficiency in ( LRWS).
 Native speakers of language do not need to be taught either
grammatical or linguistic competence.
 When L2 speakers are taught in a formal setting,
concentration is on grammatical construction more because
of the belief that grammar is the language.
 Most L2 speakers have paid more attention to studying
grammar in their target language.
 Most L2 speakers have more control of L2 grammar than of
its appropriate use; for instance, I want my quiz back. Vs
Have you graded the quiz or could I find out my grade on
the quiz? Etc.
 Not all speakers have same degree of proficiency in any of
these skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
THANK YOU