Bilingual First Language Acquisition

Term Paper , 2014 , 19 Pages , Grade: 1,3

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

This research paper focuses how children acquire two or more languages simultaneously from birth on, how their achievements can be measured and if their development proceeds similar to monolingual children. To a certain extend the argument includes theories of Applied Linguistics and Cognitive Linguistics . Therefore, this analysis can be used as overview or short introduction about the current research on bilingual first language acquisition and may encourage the reader, which might be also a teacher who is likely to face a multilingual environment in his classrooms, to enhance his knowledge in this specific area.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Theoretical Principles
  • What is Bilingual First Language Acquisition?
  • Research Issues
  • Categories of Early Childhood Bilingualism
• Linguistic Analysis
  • Morphosyntax
  • Lexicon
  • Phonology
• Code-Switching in Early Bilinguals?
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This research paper aims to analyze the acquisition of two or more languages simultaneously from birth, examining how children's achievements can be measured and whether their development proceeds similarly to monolingual children. It explores the theoretical frameworks of Applied Linguistics and Cognitive Linguistics to provide an overview of current research on bilingual first language acquisition.

• Simultaneous vs. Sequential Bilingualism
• Linguistic Development in Bilingual Children
• Cognitive and Metalinguistic Abilities in Bilinguals
• Code-Switching and Language Mixing
• The Impact of Bilingualism on School Achievement

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction discusses the benefits and challenges of early childhood bilingualism, highlighting the ongoing debate surrounding its impact on cognitive and linguistic development. It emphasizes the importance of research in this area to address concerns about mental overload and to support both educators and multilingual parents.

The chapter on theoretical principles delves into various definitions of bilingualism, focusing on the distinction between simultaneous and sequential language acquisition. It explores the concept of "nativeness" in bilingualism and the role of age and order of acquisition in language proficiency.

The chapter on linguistic analysis examines the specific linguistic features of bilingual children, including their morphosyntax, lexicon, and phonology. It explores how bilingual children acquire and use language in different contexts, highlighting the complexities of their linguistic development.

The chapter on code-switching explores the phenomenon of language mixing in bilingual children, examining the factors that influence their choice of language and the implications for their linguistic development. It discusses the role of social context, language proficiency, and individual preferences in code-switching behavior.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text include bilingual first language acquisition, simultaneous bilingualism, sequential bilingualism, linguistic development, cognitive development, metalinguistic abilities, code-switching, language mixing, and the impact of bilingualism on school achievement. The text explores the theoretical frameworks of Applied Linguistics and Cognitive Linguistics to provide a comprehensive overview of current research in this field.

• College: University of Koblenz-Landau
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Adrian Müller (Author)
• Publication Year: 2014
• Pages: 19
• Catalog Number: V283884
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656874584
• ISBN (Book): 9783656874591
• Language: English
• Tags: bilingual, first, language, acquisition