Bilingualism in minority languages: a resource and an opportunity
Research
on the bilingual mind shows that bilingualism in any languages,
regardless of their status, prestige, and worldwide diffusion, can give
children a range of mental benefits. Equally, child bilingualism is
essential to the inter-generational transmission of these languages, and
in some cases to their very prospect of survival. However, there are
still many widespread old misconceptions – as well as some new ones -
about what it means to grow up with two languages. For example, many
people still think that early bilingualism makes children confused and
puts them at a disadvantage at school. Research, in contrast, shows that
when there are differences between monolingual and bilingual children,
these are almost invariably in favour of bilinguals: bilingual children
tend to have enhanced metalinguistic skills and language learning
abilities, a better understanding of other people’s points of view, and
more mental flexibility in dealing with complex situations. Some of
these benefits have also been found in adult second language learners,
both younger and much older. I will first illustrate the main facts and
benefits of bilingualism over the lifespan, focusing in particular on
current research on minority languages, including Gaelic. I will then
present what can be done to disseminate correct information on
bilingualism in different sectors of society and to enable informed
decisions in minority language communities.