Bilingualism
Journal of Foreign Language Education and Technology are a peer reviewed and open access journal publishes articles in the scientific society. The journal welcomes articles in the form of original articles, review articles, case reports, and short communications etc. relevant field. You can visit our journal page. Authors may submit manuscripts and track their progress through the system, hopefully to publication. Reviewers can download manuscripts and submit their opinions to the editor. Like many things in life, technology has changed the way we learn languages beyond all recognition. Long gone are the old days of poring over textbooks and bulky bilingual dictionaries to learn a foreign language.
Put simply, bilingualism is the ability to use two languages. However, defining bilingualism is problematic since individuals with varying bilingual characteristics may be classified as bilingual. Definitions of bilingualism range from a minimal proficiency in two languages, to an advanced level of proficiency which allows the speaker to function and appear as a native-like speaker of two languages. A person may describe themselves as bilingual but may mean only the ability to converse and communicate orally. Others may be proficient in reading in two or more languages (or bi-literate). A person may be bilingual by virtue of having grown up learning and using two languages simultaneously (simultaneous bilingualism). Or they may become bilingual by learning a second language sometime after their first language. This is known as sequential bilingualism. To be bilingual means different things to different people.
Bilingualism encompasses a range of proficiencies and contexts. A young child entering school may be called bilingual but it may be that she uses her first or home language for domestic and familial purposes and that English is her preferred language for communication outside the home. Or she may be largely monolingual in her first language only when she starts school. A child who has recently arrived in England from overseas may have a good level of literacy in English but may be unable to converse or use spoken English in the classroom context. On the other hand, many pupils described as bilingual routinely use three languages or more and thus 'plurilingual' would be a better description.In terms of competence, a bilingual may have very high levels of proficiency in both languages or may have only limited proficiency in one and be far more proficient in the other.
Bilingual
This term is used to describe a learner who uses two or more languages to communicate. There are various interpretations with regard to attitude, proficiency and use.
Community languages or Heritage languages
These describe the languages spoken and used, other than English, in a local community. For example, one might refer to Bengali as the most widely used community language in Tower Hamlets, or Punjabi as the predominant community language in Leicester. In some contexts, the term heritage language is used interchangeably. Heritage language may also indicate a language that is no longer widely spoken but is the language of an earlier generation of settlers, such as Ukrainian in parts of Canada, which continues to be taught and supported through language teaching and cultural and religious activities.
English as a foreign language (EFL)
Refers to the learning and teaching of English in a non-English context, such as learning English in Hungary.
English to speakers of other languages (ESOL)
It is generally used to describe adult learning of English as an additional language.
Ethnic Minority Acheivement Grant (EMAG)
The Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) was developed in 1999 to fund schools and local authorities to meet the needs of minority ethnic pupils including those learning EAL. Is often used to describe the roles of specialist teachers and departments.
Thanks and regards
Chris Brown
Associate Managing Editor