Our readings for today were very interesting and meaningful to me given that I myself grew up in a bilingual household. After discussing these readings in class further, we talked about the challenges that some people may have when encountering another language as well as keeping with their native tongues. I am not sure of whether or not bilinguals are actually "smarter" but I do believe that bilingualism allows an individual to think in two different perspectives when it comes to language. This allows a person to develop a skill that a person which is only able to communicate in one language will not have. The articles argue that bilinguals are able to function in a more holistic manner and perceive more specific things about their surroundings. The most interesting study they talked about in one of the articles had to do with how children that were bilingual were more easily able to differentiate between shapes/colors etc. That exercise showed how bilingual brains are able to capture more complex concepts in such fascinating ways.
March 31 2015
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