5. In sociolinguistics, diglossia is a situation in which two distinct varieties of a language are spoken
within the same speech community. There are three crucial features of diglossi. Two distinct
varieties of the same language are used in the community, with one regarded as high (or H) variety
and the other a low (or L) variety. Each variety is used for quite distinct functions; H and L
complement each other. For example, the differences between standard and Egyptian Arabic;
Greek; and Haitian Creole.
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6. "In the classic diglossic situation, two varieties
of a language, such as standard French and
Haitian creole French, exist alongside each
other in a single society," explains author
Robert Lane Greene. "Each variety has its
own fixed functions—one a 'high,' prestigious
variety, and one a 'low,' or colloquial, one.
Using the wrong variety in the wrong situation
would be socially inappropriate, almost on the
level of delivering the BBC's nightly news in
broad Scots." He continues the explanation:
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"Children learn the low variety as a native
language; in diglossic cultures, it is the
language of home, the family, the streets and
marketplaces, friendship, and solidarity. By
contrast, the high variety is spoken by few or
none as a first language. It must be taught in
school. The high variety is used for public
speaking, formal lectures and higher
education, television broadcasts, sermons,
liturgies, and writing. (Often the low variety has
no written form.)" ("You Are What You Speak."
Delacorte, 2011)
7. A bilingual person is someone who speaks two languages.
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2.
Bilingualism
8. How do people become bilingual?
A person can become bilingual by learning two languages simultaneously during childhood or by learning a
first language followed by a second language.
Many bilinguals grow up bilingual. In America, such people are often the children of immigrants. These children grow
up in their parent’s homes in their native language while speaking English in school. But many bilinguals are not
immigrants. It is not uncommon for people born in the United States to speak English at school or work and another
language at home. A child can also be bilingual if you constantly speak to them in different languages. Children may
grow up in homes where parents speak different languages. In this case, the child can learn to speak to each parent in
the parent’s language. This means that a toddler who is regularly exposed to her two languages from an early age is
more likely to become a native her speaker who is fluent in both languages.
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9. Exposure must include interactions. A child who grew up in an English-speaking home and was only
exposed to Spanish on Spanish television will not be bilingual in Spanish and English, but a child who
speaks both English and Spanish regularly will be bilingual in Spanish and English.
You can learn a second language from early childhood onwards, but as you get older, it becomes harder to
pick up a new language, not just a native speaker. Many linguists believe that children are regularly exposed
We believe that there is a "critical period" (lasting from birth to adolescence) during which language is easily
acquired. Many European countries encourage their children to learn a second language, usually English.
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10. Is it harder for a child to acquire two language at once?
There is no evidence that it is more difficult for a
child to learn two languages than it is to learn one.
As long as both languages are spoken to the child
regularly, the child will easily pick up both
languages. A child does not need to have any
special ability to be bilingual. As long as a child is
exposed to two languages in early childhood, he
will master both.
Some people worry that learning more than one
language is bad for a child, but nothing is far from the
truth.In fact, knowing more than one language has
many benefits.
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First, many linguists believe that knowing a second
language can help a child’s cognitive development. May
speak a language other than English at home and still
have strong ties to their ethnic roots. Important for a
sense of personal identity. Not being able to speak the
family language can make a child an outsider in their
own family. Speaking the family language gives the
child a sense of identity and belonging. Third, in an
increasingly global market, being fluent in a language
knowing whether or not your family is new to the
United States. Finally, for people of all ages and
occupations, knowing a second language promotes
awareness and understanding of other cultures.
12. Multilingualism is the ability of an individual
speaker or community of speakers to communicate
effectively in three or more languages. As opposed
to monolingualism, the ability to use only one
language. A person who can speak multiple
languages is called a polyglot or multilingual.
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The original language that a person speaks, while
growing up is known as their first or mother
tongue. Someone who grows up with two first or
first languages is called
simultaneous bilinguals. If they later learn a
second language, they are called sequential
bilinguals.
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