Early bilingual refers to someone who acquires two languages in early childhood. Those especially learn two languages as “first languages” at the same time can be termed as simultaneous bilinguals. Simultaneous bilinguals are commonly exposed to the languages since birth or shortly after. Generally speaking, learning two languages in early childhood does more good than harm. This paper will first discuss the benefits of bilingualism including advantages in metalinguistic awareness, and executive function, as well as protection against dementia, followed by the downside which is the deficits in lexical access.
Advantages
Metalinguistic awareness
Bilingual children may display a limited advantage in metalinguistic awareness over monolingual …show more content…
It was proved and replicated in many experimental tasks. Take picture naming task as an example, bilinguals recognize and name pictures rather slowly than monolinguals regardless of the languages used (Bialystok et al, 2008). Likewise, bilinguals exhibit less optimal performance on semantic verbal fluency tasks which participants are required to name as many words as they can belonging to a particular semantic category in 60s (Gollan, Montoya, & Werner, 2002). In another experiment, Gollan, Bonanni, and Montoya (2005) found that the disadvantages of bilingual in lexical retrieval could extend to daily language use, to be more specific, bilinguals experienced more tip-of-the-tongue states than monolinguals. Apparently, bilinguals may require more effort on retrieving words as compared to their monolingual peers.
To conclude, the advantages of bilingualism far outweigh the disadvantage. Bilingualism offers three major benefits which are the better performance on both aspects of metalinguistic awareness and executive function, and protection against dementia. Meanwhile, bilinguals struggle more to access words. Overall, bilingualism can be beneficial. As some advantages are time or experience related, developing into bilingual as earlier as possible in a simultaneous way can maximize the
Advantages
Metalinguistic awareness
Bilingual children may display a limited advantage in metalinguistic awareness over monolingual …show more content…
It was proved and replicated in many experimental tasks. Take picture naming task as an example, bilinguals recognize and name pictures rather slowly than monolinguals regardless of the languages used (Bialystok et al, 2008). Likewise, bilinguals exhibit less optimal performance on semantic verbal fluency tasks which participants are required to name as many words as they can belonging to a particular semantic category in 60s (Gollan, Montoya, & Werner, 2002). In another experiment, Gollan, Bonanni, and Montoya (2005) found that the disadvantages of bilingual in lexical retrieval could extend to daily language use, to be more specific, bilinguals experienced more tip-of-the-tongue states than monolinguals. Apparently, bilinguals may require more effort on retrieving words as compared to their monolingual peers.
To conclude, the advantages of bilingualism far outweigh the disadvantage. Bilingualism offers three major benefits which are the better performance on both aspects of metalinguistic awareness and executive function, and protection against dementia. Meanwhile, bilinguals struggle more to access words. Overall, bilingualism can be beneficial. As some advantages are time or experience related, developing into bilingual as earlier as possible in a simultaneous way can maximize the