Since the first class, we learnt about bilinguals, who are the bilinguals, and what qualifies a bilingual. However, i have been wondering what really, really makes one a bilingual?
In my
opinion, there is really no way for anyone to really judge whether a
person is a bilingual or not. We know that everybody has different preferences,
and these preferences can vary from one another either mildly or even on the
extreme end of a hypothetical scale.
Is anyone who can communicate in one language a bilingual? Well for
me, yes. The context I shall put in is our very own country Malaysia. In the
textbook we have learnt that people use different languages for different
purposes. Well yes, especially in Malaysia. I can speak and write Malay and
English. I can communicate in Mandarin fluently but I can’t write well. I can
speak the Hokkien and Cantonese dialect sparingly when I need to use them for
certain purposes like ordering food, asking inquiries or getting myself
something. However, I am not fluent in these two dialects, does that mean that I
am incompetent?
This brings us to a more societal level. If we zoom into the urban
area of Kuala Lumpur, people here all speak different languages. However, we
all know other languages sparingly if not proficiently. Still, everyone can
communicate and can have meaningful conversations even though the command of
the language may not fulfill the aspects of speaking, listening, reading and
writing.
To end, I would reiterate my opinion that, there is nobody to
judge a bilingual, because everybody has different concepts and preferences. I
might feel that a spoon of sugar is enough for a cup of tea, but you might
prefer two, and he might prefer three.
I agree with Aaron. This is very difficult to decide how the person qualify as a bilingual. But, I have one opinion. If I have to answer this question, I will choose the communication as the criteria to decide the person is bilingual or not.
ReplyDeleteWhen we are asked what is bilingual?
The most common answer is the person who can speak 2 languages. Based on this definition, the word 'speak' becomes the key word in my opinion. When the person can speak 2 languages in his life, and also he can survive when he use that language in his life, so he is qualify to be called bilingual.
So the main point is the communication. When people can use those languages for their life, that means they are bilingual.
I too, also agree with Aaron. There is no certain answer to who is a bilingual. We may speak different languages in different occasion with different purposes. People may speak English at work place and speak Cantonese when at home or with friends. I personally will measure a bilingual by seeing how many language he/she speaks. It doesn't matter if the proficiency level of the language is high or low. He/She can speak the language for someone else to understand enough but may not be able to write so well. But at least they are able to communicate with people out there and understand each other. So this is what I think what makes a bilingual.
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ReplyDeleteAfter the first few classes of Bilingualism, I'm starting to be doubtful whether I can consider myself knowing Bahasa Malaysia in terms of being a bilingual. Of course, we all Malaysians study Bahasa Malaysia in school but since I came from a Chinese school, I occasionally have the context or situation to communicate in Bahasa Malaysia in school. Not to mention that now studying in university, English is everyday use to me and I speak Chinese when I get home. I don't really have the chance to speak Bahasa Malaysia anymore. About 2 weeks ago, when I spoke to the guard in Bahasa Malaysia, I realised how badly I spoke this language. I could not speak in complete sentence fluently, but with a lot of fillers like 'errr' or 'uhmm' and my mind kept thinking of English words. In fact, I don't really think I can communicate well in Bahasa Malaysia. Same goes to those who immigrate to other countries and do not often communicate using the languages that they once familiar with anymore, they may forget the language like I do, so are they still bilinguals? That is my question.
ReplyDeleteI think it is actually quite rare that a person may forget their mother tongue. For your example of immigrants, they do not communicate in their first language anymore. However, their first language is their mother tongue and they have been using it since young up till they immigrate. Hence, it would be quite difficult for them to forget the language and could still be classified as a bilingual.
ReplyDeleteAs for your Malay, it is not your first language but a second or perhaps third language for you. So it is easier to lose touch of it once you stop speaking or listening to the language. In your case, you still have a stronghold of English and Mandarin, so no doubt you are a bilingual. However, if we take a context where a person only knows English and Malay and have lost touch of Malay like you said, then for me the person is no more a bilingual.
As Claire and Justine has mentioned, the most important aspect of a bilingual should be the speaking. Communication is most important in terms of bilingualism. That is why, if the person does not know how to communicate in Malay anymore then he/she should be a monolingual of the English language alone.