Looking at Bilingualism and L2/SLA (Second Language Acquisition) theory and practice are there points of convergence that reflect notions of global emerging bilingualism, and can be used in language learning. Giving an overview of the key theories within each field then using a literature review from June 2013 – June 2014 we see what approaches are suggested in 36 journals. The journals show an increase in discussion, but there is still a notable lack of both dialogue and experimental work. One possible approach Language as SocialSemiotic approach (LASS) which builds on Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) emphasises created meaning.

The study investigated the experience of language brokering in highly proficient Chinese-English bilinguals where 50% of them were language brokers. Essentially, language brokering as a phenomenon is the activity of informal translation to facilitate communication between persons and languages. Predominantly from first- and second-generation immigrant households, brokers take on many different settings and materials to achieve these informal translation activities and tasks. It has been shown in previous studies, that brokers tend to be more agile and dynamic across languages. The present study used counterpart idioms to test language brokers and non-brokers recording their accuracy. The counterpart idiom judgment task tested idiom type (decomposability and familiarity) in both English and Chinese language directions [e.g., English direction “kill two birds with one stone”, answer “一石二鸟”- pin yin: yī shí èr niǎo (figurative meaning in both English and Chinese – “to succeed in achieving two things in a single action”)]. Findings showed that brokers similarly scored in decomposable idioms (D) and non-decomposable (ND) particularly in Chinese. Non-brokers showed significantly differently in both decomposable (D) and non-decomposable (ND) idioms where decomposable idioms (D) scored greater than non-decomposable (ND) in Chinese. Both groups responded more accurately in D than ND in English. Overall, brokers had a higher accuracy than non-brokers and responded more similarly across languages, idiom types (decomposable and non-decomposable), and familiar and unfamiliar idioms. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this study was to understand the issue of the language of instruction to school literacy learning in rural Haiti. Using a narrative approach, 10 participants who live and work in a rural village in Northern Haiti were involved. I sought to examine their experience and perspectives on the issue as well as their level of awareness and the ways they navigate through the system to succeed in life. The dissertation also investigated their struggle to learn using a language over which they do not have much command and that they do not speak at home and in their community. This dissertation drew from critical pedagogy, as a conceptual framework that advocates for emancipation by providing quality and equitable education for all students as agents of change filled with intellectual potentiality and the ability to address oppressive patterns in society and challenge the status quo. Data from subjects were collected from focus groups, in-class observations, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the data was done utilizing three coding cycles and three themes were identified: 1) Students’ production based on the language in use, 2) The importance of the setting for language mastery and literacy learning, and 3) The role of language mastery in students’ success in school and in the workplace. The study suggests implications for future research, parents, and school leaders. The findings identify gaps and purpose to add to the literature given the paucity of research on the issue of the language of instruction as applied to schools in rural Haiti.Keywords: literacy learning, language of instruction, mother tongue, bilingualism, code-switching

The aim of the study was to explore the unique needs and strengths of multilingual students when learning math and problem-solving and how the teacher should create the education with problem-solving for multilingual students. The result is based on these two questions that were developed in relation with the purpose. This study is based on ten scientific articles chosen from the databases Education Research Complete and ERIC by EBSCO. The result shows that multilingual students should be encouraged to use their different languages as it strengthens their knowledge development. They must also be allowed to work in various ways with problem-solving to develop relevant abilities.Overall, it is crucial for teachers to be aware of the needs of multilingual students and to make appropriate accommodations in order to support their learning and development. Furthermore, the study will show how multilingual students are having some benefits while working with problem-solving such as they are being more creative and adaptable. The conclusion indicates that multilingual students need some support in the work with problem-solving. It is therefore significant that the teacher can accommodate these needs and adjust the problem-solving activities.

In modern-day psycholinguistics, there is a rising interest in looking at bilingualism from a holistic perspective. Yet, only a few are the methods employed as efficient and comprehensive of all the variables and factors that affect language acquisition and the motivation for someone to seek to acquire another language. Historically, research has also recognized the extreme value of bilingualism at a neurological level (we know that it offers protection against neurodegeneration and increased grey matter presence in some brain regions, aiding in cognitive performance overall). However, we ignore the full extent of the mechanisms that aid this complex process and the trajectory the speaker takes from initial exposure to another language to becoming competent. Vocal biomarkers are a currently emerging topic in behavioral research due to their potential uses in the early detection of psychopathology and neurodegeneration, potentially by just recording a person's voice and relying on an app to analyze and provide a report. We created a comprehensive battery to measure bilingualism, including surveys and a vocal assessment, considering specific vocal patterns (jitteriness, sustentation, and others). Participants took a modified version of a golden reference test for bilingualism research, the Bilingual Language Profile, to which we added a technology usage question and a cultural influences section. We then collected voice samples from them, completing three tasks.

This study investigated the possible relationship between bilingualism and social anxiety disorder. Past research has indicated developmental delays in language as increasing risk for other psychological difficulties. With the pressure to learn two languages, possibly in the drastically different environments of home, school, and/or work, individuals may be vulnerable to becoming socially anxious in conjunction with language use. This study examined a series of factors surrounding linguistic development and reports of social anxiety. Participants were divided into 4 groups: Socially Anxious (SA; n = 43) monolinguals, Non-Socially Anxious (Non-SA; n = 81) monolinguals, SA bilinguals (n = 30), and Non-SA bilinguals (n = 43). Measures of social anxiety, linguistic ability, and demographic information were collected and compared. The results of this study showed no direct link between bilingualism and SAD. However results raised other questions as there was an overrepresentation of SA bilinguals having accents when compared with Non-SA bilingual individuals.

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Eight families with Japanese mothers and English-speaking fathers were followed from the 1990s to 2007 as they strove to raise their children as bilinguals. The issues that were investigated were: (1) the language environments afforded; (2) factors influencing family decisions in creating those language environments; and, (3) conclusions about the efficacy of different language environments for raising bilingual children. Parental sacrifice was evident. Some mothers suppressed their native Japanese language and culture as they tried to afford their children solid backgrounds in what they considered a high-prestige language (English), while some fathers changed jobs in order to spend more time at home. Some families also moved in order to be near desirable schools. An optimal English environment at home was the key to success. Fathers spent quality time with their children every day, reading English books, doing homework together, talking about school activities, and reading bedtime stories. Families provided children with many English videos, DVDs, and other audiovisual sources. Summer travel to the father's country for summer camps and other enjoyable activities, especially spending time with English-speaking cousins, promoted positive images of English language and culture. Mothers faced issues of identity, power relations, and gender roles. The mothers' own experiences of learning English played a crucial role in the choices they made in raising their children as bilinguals. Typically, power relations between husbands and wives were determined by the wives' self-perception of being subordinate to their husbands. The results indicated that different theories of bilingual child-raising, no matter how stringently followed, did not seem to matter; what mattered was balancing the time the child spent with each parent. Usually before parents expected it, the child's own identity asserted itself in the pursuit of particular language environments, and progress toward fluency was sometimes erratic, as in the case of one boy whose development in both languages appeared to be delayed but who later was viewed as having native-speaker proficiency in both languages. Overall, more important than any particular method or theory, sustained sincere efforts and flexibility can produce bilingual children. / CITE/Language Arts

This study is a situated qualitative investigation of the multiple languages and identities of three Japanese international school students in Japan. These students had no foreign heritage or experience living outside Japan, but had been educated completely in English-medium international schools since kindergarten. In effect, they had been socialized into another culture and language without leaving Japan--a relatively monolingual and monocultural country. The participants' complex linguistic situations and identities were investigated using narrative inquiry over a period of 19 months. Their narratives, gathered primarily by interviews, were supplemented by observations, interviews of those close to them, and other data sources. Using postmodernist-influenced concepts as analytical lenses, I was able to bring to light the students' complex views on language and identity emerging from their unique linguistic and cultural experiences. The students in this study revealed that one does not necessarily belong to a single dominant culture or have a single "first language." These students felt most comfortable with their multiple cultures and languages in a 'third space' (Bhabha, 1994), and they actively took part in creating their own hybrid cultures, languages, and identities. The students' hybrid languages and identities were nurtured and secure within the international school community. However, once outside this community, the students realized the complexities within themselves, requiring that they learn to negotiate their identities, as identity crucially involves location and relationships with others. When they were able to visualize their futures as bilingual/bicultural individuals, their identities became somewhat clearer and less contested. At that point, they felt that their linguistic and cultural hybridity was not entirely an obstacle, but something that they could also use to their advantage. It was when they had to make either-or choices between cultures, languages, and identities that they felt troubled or deficient. Through their narratives, the participants revealed the extent to which static categories and monolithic notions of language and culture were imposed upon them, and how these affected their understanding and perceptions of themselves. In conclusion, I interrogate such static views and urge researchers, educators, and bilingual/bicultural individuals to view languages and identities in more complex ways. / CITE/Language Arts