Week 11 Journal #9

[Tana Kuptanon]

• New York Times:  Why Bilinguals are Smarter
• ScienceLine:  Are Bilinguals Really Smarter?
• My first thoughts without reading the article was that that bilinguals aren't "smarter" as in IQ or EQ but they are able to switch from one language to another easy, so they have the fluid cells allowing them to switch from one thing to another easily. It helps in other activities that uses the same cells such as music, learning other languages, art...etc. I personally speak 3 languages fluently, but then I don't think that I have the same type of fluency in the three languages. I definitely speak and read English better than Thai and Chinese. I feel like I can improve my English at a much faster rate than Thai or Chinese because my foundation in English is much stronger than my Thai and Chinese. I think my level of bilingualism went through both coordinate and compound bilingualism. Coordinate bilingualism is learning a language through school and at home. So my way was that I learnt English at school and a bit at home but what I learn most was Thai and Chinese but more Thai. Thai was more prevalent because Thai influences and culture was much more stronger. This way it would be compound bilingualism. 
• After reading the article, I assume I was on the right path. Being bilingual helps with the executive functions and aid with functions such as planning, problem solving and other mentally demanding tasks. Bilingualism allow people to minimize distractions as in focus less on them. The example they gave in the article was be able to remember words while driving. I think the reason why people who speak more than two languages are able to concentrate and learn better with less distractions is because they are always constantly filled with unnecessary words to aid in their everyday conversation. it became practice so when there are actually test, then people with two or more languages fare much better than people with just one language. 
• Compound Bilingualism: In Compound Bilingualism there is no such dividing line; the individual learns the languages in the same environment and context and they are often used concurrently or even interchangeably. Sometimes known as additive bilingualism, an example of this would be when a child is raised by bilingual parents and both languages are used in the home. In the individual’s mind, the languages are not separate and can be switched between at will, even while speaking. 
• Because the languages are not separate and can be switch at will so sometimes a con of bilingualism is that because you can switch between two or more languages so easily that you get confused and switch between languages when talking during the same phrases. Another cons of knowing two or more languages is that how you logically think about something may not be how others with only one language process it because it you are exposed to more "juices" more ways of thinking due to exposed culture and ways of thinking. However because bilingualism are exposed to more then when they are thinking in one languages sometimes (unhelpfully) the other language pops up when.