Essay written by Bethanie Tabachnik
An Introduction:
In our current society, multilingualism, or the knowledge of multiple languages, is often perceived as an advantageous skill, but many of us do not yet recognize the wealth of benefits that speaking a language other than English provides. The most commonly recognized benefit to being multilingual is enhanced cognition, which we recognize as receiving better grades in school. In researcher Patrick Lee's Article, "Cognitive Development in Bilingual Children: A Case for Bilingual Instruction in Early Childhood Education," several studies are described which all conclude that being bilingual (knowing two languages) leads to a greater "mental flexibility" (511). Additionally, after interviewing Emory student Doris Cikopana, it became evident that the mental flexibility associated with knowing multiple languages extended to a cultural flexibility, as languages carry a culture with them (Motha 6). My goal in this essay is to connect our group's main focus on the cognitive and academic benefits of multilingualism to other types of benefits. Moreover, I aim to promote awareness for the importance of bilingual education, which may in turn encourage cultural preservation.
Patrick Lee validates the cognitive benefits of bilingual education but does not discuss other types of benefits. In my interview with her, Emory student Doris Cikopana reflects further on the benefits of being multilingual to include academics and a greater cultural exposure. My analysis of my interview with Cikopana as well as TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) scholar Suhanthie Motha's book Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching allows me to extend Lee's claims by presenting ways that bilingual education can facilitate cultural preservation and greater cultural awareness, therefore eradicating issues of racism in the classroom. Furthermore, to fully reap these benefits from increasing bilingual education, it is important to learn languages in early childhood due to the critical learning period.
An Introduction:
In our current society, multilingualism, or the knowledge of multiple languages, is often perceived as an advantageous skill, but many of us do not yet recognize the wealth of benefits that speaking a language other than English provides. The most commonly recognized benefit to being multilingual is enhanced cognition, which we recognize as receiving better grades in school. In researcher Patrick Lee's Article, "Cognitive Development in Bilingual Children: A Case for Bilingual Instruction in Early Childhood Education," several studies are described which all conclude that being bilingual (knowing two languages) leads to a greater "mental flexibility" (511). Additionally, after interviewing Emory student Doris Cikopana, it became evident that the mental flexibility associated with knowing multiple languages extended to a cultural flexibility, as languages carry a culture with them (Motha 6). My goal in this essay is to connect our group's main focus on the cognitive and academic benefits of multilingualism to other types of benefits. Moreover, I aim to promote awareness for the importance of bilingual education, which may in turn encourage cultural preservation.
Patrick Lee validates the cognitive benefits of bilingual education but does not discuss other types of benefits. In my interview with her, Emory student Doris Cikopana reflects further on the benefits of being multilingual to include academics and a greater cultural exposure. My analysis of my interview with Cikopana as well as TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) scholar Suhanthie Motha's book Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching allows me to extend Lee's claims by presenting ways that bilingual education can facilitate cultural preservation and greater cultural awareness, therefore eradicating issues of racism in the classroom. Furthermore, to fully reap these benefits from increasing bilingual education, it is important to learn languages in early childhood due to the critical learning period.
The Cognitive Benefits
In his Bilingual Research Journal article, researcher Patrick Lee highlights several studies that demonstrate the cognitive benefits of bilingualism. While each study focuses on different types of cognition, each "lend[s] support to the notion that the bilingual experience enhances the ability to think flexibly " (Lee 505). This idea is supported by the code switching theory, which relates the multilingual ability to switch between languages to an enhanced mental flexibility (511). Therefore, this added mental flexibility is what leads bilingual students to score higher on tests that measure verbal and non-verbal intelligence when compared to monolingual students (503).
One of Lee's main goals in writing his article is to convince his audience of the importance of bilingual education given the recent trend in supporting English-only instruction to unify the country (500). While Lee's article makes a strong case for why bilingualism should encouraged in terms of improving cognition, his argument lacks support for other types of benefits that bilingualism offers. I argue that there are many other benefits that should drive the general public to understand why language preservation and education is so important. Through out my project, I use Lee's concept of "mental flexibility," and extend it to argue the benefits of bilingualism that go beyond cognition.
An Academic and Cultural Advantage
With the cognitive benefits of being multilingual explained, connections to academic advantages can be drawn. In my interview with her, I asked Emory student Doris Cikopana to describe how knowing multiple languages has helped her academically. Cikopana is originally from Albania, so her first language is Albanian, followed by Italian, Spanish and finally English. She cites that knowing Spanish gave her an advantage over other students in her high school anatomy class, who all thought it was very difficult to learn the Latin medical roots associated with each anatomy term. Since Spanish and Latin are very similar, it was much easier for her to learn and remember the anatomy terms. Doris often excelled more than her monolingual peers in classes where other languages were primarily used. Her experience with multilingualism extends Lee's claims of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism to include performing better in an academic setting.
After asking Cikopana several more questions, I learned that not only does she believe that knowing many languages has helped her in the classroom, but also has provided her with multiple worldviews. She insists, "[mostly speaking English] adds more to [her worldview]. When [she] was back in Albania, it was very close and not very diverse. When [she] came here [she] met people from so many other cultures, and that kind of changed how [she] look[s] at the world." In what followed from the interview, I was able to relate Doris's assertion that she acquired more cultural exposure from learning and speaking new languages to Suhanthie Motha's book Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching. In the introduction to Motha's book, she does not explicitly mention bilingual education, but asks teachers of non-native speakers to be more conscious of issues of race in the classroom. One of her main claims is that languages should also be preserved because "languages carry within them worldviews, ways of conceptualizing reality." Motha supports this argument by citing that in a community of Tibetan Buddhist nuns, introducing English health terminology would replace the perhaps very valuable way this society thinks about health (Motha 6). In my interview with her, Doris confirms this worldview theory by stating that when she moved the United States, learning English therefore lead to learning about American culture, as well as the cultures of her friends who spoke other languages. Coming from a community that lacked diversity, Doris gained a greater cultural awareness when she learned English as a result of moving from Albania. Therefore, we can conclude that those who are multilingual not only gain an academic advantage, but also have an understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures.
In his Bilingual Research Journal article, researcher Patrick Lee highlights several studies that demonstrate the cognitive benefits of bilingualism. While each study focuses on different types of cognition, each "lend[s] support to the notion that the bilingual experience enhances the ability to think flexibly " (Lee 505). This idea is supported by the code switching theory, which relates the multilingual ability to switch between languages to an enhanced mental flexibility (511). Therefore, this added mental flexibility is what leads bilingual students to score higher on tests that measure verbal and non-verbal intelligence when compared to monolingual students (503).
One of Lee's main goals in writing his article is to convince his audience of the importance of bilingual education given the recent trend in supporting English-only instruction to unify the country (500). While Lee's article makes a strong case for why bilingualism should encouraged in terms of improving cognition, his argument lacks support for other types of benefits that bilingualism offers. I argue that there are many other benefits that should drive the general public to understand why language preservation and education is so important. Through out my project, I use Lee's concept of "mental flexibility," and extend it to argue the benefits of bilingualism that go beyond cognition.
An Academic and Cultural Advantage
With the cognitive benefits of being multilingual explained, connections to academic advantages can be drawn. In my interview with her, I asked Emory student Doris Cikopana to describe how knowing multiple languages has helped her academically. Cikopana is originally from Albania, so her first language is Albanian, followed by Italian, Spanish and finally English. She cites that knowing Spanish gave her an advantage over other students in her high school anatomy class, who all thought it was very difficult to learn the Latin medical roots associated with each anatomy term. Since Spanish and Latin are very similar, it was much easier for her to learn and remember the anatomy terms. Doris often excelled more than her monolingual peers in classes where other languages were primarily used. Her experience with multilingualism extends Lee's claims of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism to include performing better in an academic setting.
After asking Cikopana several more questions, I learned that not only does she believe that knowing many languages has helped her in the classroom, but also has provided her with multiple worldviews. She insists, "[mostly speaking English] adds more to [her worldview]. When [she] was back in Albania, it was very close and not very diverse. When [she] came here [she] met people from so many other cultures, and that kind of changed how [she] look[s] at the world." In what followed from the interview, I was able to relate Doris's assertion that she acquired more cultural exposure from learning and speaking new languages to Suhanthie Motha's book Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching. In the introduction to Motha's book, she does not explicitly mention bilingual education, but asks teachers of non-native speakers to be more conscious of issues of race in the classroom. One of her main claims is that languages should also be preserved because "languages carry within them worldviews, ways of conceptualizing reality." Motha supports this argument by citing that in a community of Tibetan Buddhist nuns, introducing English health terminology would replace the perhaps very valuable way this society thinks about health (Motha 6). In my interview with her, Doris confirms this worldview theory by stating that when she moved the United States, learning English therefore lead to learning about American culture, as well as the cultures of her friends who spoke other languages. Coming from a community that lacked diversity, Doris gained a greater cultural awareness when she learned English as a result of moving from Albania. Therefore, we can conclude that those who are multilingual not only gain an academic advantage, but also have an understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures.
Extending the Benefits: Cultural Preservation
Using Doris's experience with gaining a cultural awareness as a result of learning more languages, I expand Lee's "mental flexibility" to include cultural flexibility, which is more extensive than simply cognition. Students who know more languages therefore have a greater cultural flexibility, meaning they have a larger knowledge and interest in other cultures. I contend that this benefit of being multilingual encourages cross-cultural exchange and cultural preservation. Non-English languages and non-native speakers are often degraded in the educational system because bilingualism can be regarded as an inhibitory quality. Lee cites this as "the myth of bilingual handicap," which "holds that when linguistic minorities fail in school it is because of their bilinguality (Lee 513). While Lee refutes this argument using claims of cognitive benefits, I maintain that these students also play a huge role in cultural preservation. Since each unique language a student speaks is associated with a culture, (Motha 6) supporting bilingualism and bilingual education fosters cultural preservation. In her book, Motha calls attention to cultural preservation but overlooks suggesting the importance of bilingual education. I extend Motha by arguing for bilingual education to promote cultural acceptance, rather than simply calling for awareness to racism in the classroom.
Pushing for Greater Social Equality
In the introduction to her book, Motha asks teachers to be more aware of racial issues surrounding their students whose first language is not Standard English. These students are often viewed as less competent, and score poorly because of a lack of correct instruction and attention. Additionally, school systems often attribute their scores to their bilinguality, creating an unequal learning environment divided by cultures. Furthermore, not only do we associate cultures with languages, but cultures are also based on how others perceive you. This idea of perception and culture is what creates even more inequality and racial discrimination in the classroom, especially for students whose first language is not English. I grant that if more students had bilingual educations or backgrounds to therefore have a greater awareness for other cultures, the tensions Motha mentions surrounding racism and empire in the classroom could begin to be eliminated. As more students become increasingly aware of cultural differences, more culturally diverse students will be accepted and treated as equals in the classroom. With the cognitive, academic, cultural, and equality benefits that multilingualism has to offer, the importance of bilingual education becomes well defined and undisputable.
Using Doris's experience with gaining a cultural awareness as a result of learning more languages, I expand Lee's "mental flexibility" to include cultural flexibility, which is more extensive than simply cognition. Students who know more languages therefore have a greater cultural flexibility, meaning they have a larger knowledge and interest in other cultures. I contend that this benefit of being multilingual encourages cross-cultural exchange and cultural preservation. Non-English languages and non-native speakers are often degraded in the educational system because bilingualism can be regarded as an inhibitory quality. Lee cites this as "the myth of bilingual handicap," which "holds that when linguistic minorities fail in school it is because of their bilinguality (Lee 513). While Lee refutes this argument using claims of cognitive benefits, I maintain that these students also play a huge role in cultural preservation. Since each unique language a student speaks is associated with a culture, (Motha 6) supporting bilingualism and bilingual education fosters cultural preservation. In her book, Motha calls attention to cultural preservation but overlooks suggesting the importance of bilingual education. I extend Motha by arguing for bilingual education to promote cultural acceptance, rather than simply calling for awareness to racism in the classroom.
Pushing for Greater Social Equality
In the introduction to her book, Motha asks teachers to be more aware of racial issues surrounding their students whose first language is not Standard English. These students are often viewed as less competent, and score poorly because of a lack of correct instruction and attention. Additionally, school systems often attribute their scores to their bilinguality, creating an unequal learning environment divided by cultures. Furthermore, not only do we associate cultures with languages, but cultures are also based on how others perceive you. This idea of perception and culture is what creates even more inequality and racial discrimination in the classroom, especially for students whose first language is not English. I grant that if more students had bilingual educations or backgrounds to therefore have a greater awareness for other cultures, the tensions Motha mentions surrounding racism and empire in the classroom could begin to be eliminated. As more students become increasingly aware of cultural differences, more culturally diverse students will be accepted and treated as equals in the classroom. With the cognitive, academic, cultural, and equality benefits that multilingualism has to offer, the importance of bilingual education becomes well defined and undisputable.
An Emphasis on Early Childhood Bilingual Education
With all of the benefits of multilingualism and the importance of bilingual education clarified, another question must be asked: when is the most effective time to teach bilingually to reap the most benefits? According to Lee, the most cognitive and linguistic development occurs during the early childhood years, which is called the critical period. Furthermore, many non-American students quickly lose the ability to speak their native language as a result of negative attention and emphasis on English only instruction (513). With this concern in mind, a recent study found that 18.1% of parents of non-native students in bilingual schools reported that their children showed a positive change in speaking their native language, while only 2.8% of the children who had attended an English only pre-school demonstrated an increased use of their native language (515). These statistics elucidate the importance of an early bilingual education in interest of the preservation of non-English languages.
To put these statistics reality, I cite an interview conducted by students in Dr. Mandy Suhr Sytsma's Fall 2013 English 101 Course. A group of students interviewed Emory Student Kabir Mohideen, who was born in California but whose family is originally from India. Mohideen learned to speak Hindi along with English from his early childhood. While he was not instructed in Hindi at school, he emphasized how important it was to learn Hindi while he was younger as opposed to learning it in a middle school or high school setting. To show the difference, Kabir compares Spanish, a language he learned in school but he is not fluent in, to Hindi, which he has been fluent in since childhood. Given Kabir's experience in relation to Lee's article, I further my argument by specifically adding an early-childhood education component to it to increase the opportunities for students in terms of academics, cultural awareness, and especially greater social equality.
What the Future Holds
While the appeal of multilingualism is growing, especially for those reading resumes as well as job and college applications, support for bilingual education does not seem to be growing at the same rate. Given the research encouraging early childhood bilingual education and the cognitive benefits of multilingualism, the public should recognize the call to fund these types of schools. Not only will a child's linguistic abilities give them an advantage in a college applicant or job pool, but a shift towards multilingualism has the power to change social construct. Those with more flexible minds will be able to accept other cultures more readily, therefore promoting cultural preservation and social equality. While the claims for the cognitive enhancement associated with bilingualism are backed by many scientific experiments, the degree of cultural preservation and racial equality in bilingual schools are not well documented. My project calls for additional research to first discover what type of education, whether it is bilingual education or simply instruction of a few classes in other languages, are most effective. Then, further research would be required to see how these types of instruction promote cultural preservation by asking parents of children in the programs if they believe their child's education has played a positive or negative role in preserving their native culture. It would also be important to ask older students in bilingual vs. tradition education system about racial equality at their school. Using these effective methods, not only would more students feel confident about their academic abilities, but also cultural preservation would be enhanced to promote a greater equality in the classroom, therefore eliminating issues of racism in schools to then create a more culturally aware society.
With all of the benefits of multilingualism and the importance of bilingual education clarified, another question must be asked: when is the most effective time to teach bilingually to reap the most benefits? According to Lee, the most cognitive and linguistic development occurs during the early childhood years, which is called the critical period. Furthermore, many non-American students quickly lose the ability to speak their native language as a result of negative attention and emphasis on English only instruction (513). With this concern in mind, a recent study found that 18.1% of parents of non-native students in bilingual schools reported that their children showed a positive change in speaking their native language, while only 2.8% of the children who had attended an English only pre-school demonstrated an increased use of their native language (515). These statistics elucidate the importance of an early bilingual education in interest of the preservation of non-English languages.
To put these statistics reality, I cite an interview conducted by students in Dr. Mandy Suhr Sytsma's Fall 2013 English 101 Course. A group of students interviewed Emory Student Kabir Mohideen, who was born in California but whose family is originally from India. Mohideen learned to speak Hindi along with English from his early childhood. While he was not instructed in Hindi at school, he emphasized how important it was to learn Hindi while he was younger as opposed to learning it in a middle school or high school setting. To show the difference, Kabir compares Spanish, a language he learned in school but he is not fluent in, to Hindi, which he has been fluent in since childhood. Given Kabir's experience in relation to Lee's article, I further my argument by specifically adding an early-childhood education component to it to increase the opportunities for students in terms of academics, cultural awareness, and especially greater social equality.
What the Future Holds
While the appeal of multilingualism is growing, especially for those reading resumes as well as job and college applications, support for bilingual education does not seem to be growing at the same rate. Given the research encouraging early childhood bilingual education and the cognitive benefits of multilingualism, the public should recognize the call to fund these types of schools. Not only will a child's linguistic abilities give them an advantage in a college applicant or job pool, but a shift towards multilingualism has the power to change social construct. Those with more flexible minds will be able to accept other cultures more readily, therefore promoting cultural preservation and social equality. While the claims for the cognitive enhancement associated with bilingualism are backed by many scientific experiments, the degree of cultural preservation and racial equality in bilingual schools are not well documented. My project calls for additional research to first discover what type of education, whether it is bilingual education or simply instruction of a few classes in other languages, are most effective. Then, further research would be required to see how these types of instruction promote cultural preservation by asking parents of children in the programs if they believe their child's education has played a positive or negative role in preserving their native culture. It would also be important to ask older students in bilingual vs. tradition education system about racial equality at their school. Using these effective methods, not only would more students feel confident about their academic abilities, but also cultural preservation would be enhanced to promote a greater equality in the classroom, therefore eliminating issues of racism in schools to then create a more culturally aware society.
Works Cited
Lee, Patrick. "Cognitive Development in Bilingual Children: A Case for Bilingual Instruction in Early Childhood Education." Bilingual Research Journal 20.3-4 (1996): 499-522.Web.
Motha, Suhanthie. Introduction. Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching: Creating Responsible and Ethical Anti-racist Practice. New York: Teachers College, 2014. 1-19. Print.
Image Credits (in order of appearance)
1. http://www.rightreading.com/blog-images-09/bilingual-brain.jpg
2. http://gentryhall2.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/8/6/37864717/1664955_orig.jpeg
3. https://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/styles/resource_doc_image/public/view-images/kindergartenteacher_helpingstudents_0.jpg?itok=sQwoqjPZ
Header image created on wurdle.com
Lee, Patrick. "Cognitive Development in Bilingual Children: A Case for Bilingual Instruction in Early Childhood Education." Bilingual Research Journal 20.3-4 (1996): 499-522.Web.
Motha, Suhanthie. Introduction. Race, Empire, and English Language Teaching: Creating Responsible and Ethical Anti-racist Practice. New York: Teachers College, 2014. 1-19. Print.
Image Credits (in order of appearance)
1. http://www.rightreading.com/blog-images-09/bilingual-brain.jpg
2. http://gentryhall2.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/8/6/37864717/1664955_orig.jpeg
3. https://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/styles/resource_doc_image/public/view-images/kindergartenteacher_helpingstudents_0.jpg?itok=sQwoqjPZ
Header image created on wurdle.com