Bilingual Education

<b>Forum for ideas on how to teach pronunciation </b>

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jeffreyrodrigue
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:39 pm

Bilingual Education

Post by jeffreyrodrigue » Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:29 pm

Being raised bilingual (French and English) has messed up some things in my vocabulary and pronounciation. For the most part though it's more benificial and an advantage, but sometimes when I'm speaking to a french speaker there is something I want to say, but I can only think of the word in English. The same goes for when I'm speaking in English sometimes I have a blank, but I remember the word in the other language. Also since the sounds are similar but opposite in French and English I often mistake Js for Gs and Gs for Js in French and in English. These are just slight by-products of bilingualism and I'd rather have them than not being able to speak both language.

Donnetta
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 5:29 pm

Post by Donnetta » Tue May 15, 2012 5:53 pm

You are right. These are slight problems that are miniscule compared to the fact that you are one of the rare people who is bilingual. Forgetting a word here or there or mispronouncing one is of little importance. Communicative competence (attention to fluency not just accuracy, language use and not just usage) are the most important things. When we speak our goal is to convey a message. And you already have this ability. If not, you would not be able to communicate in both languages with native speakers. Automaticity is what is most important when speaking a language. Again, the emphasis here is on the purpose of language and resistance to the temptation to analyze language forms. Overanalyzing language, thinking too much about its forms and consciously lingering on rules of language impede automaticity. So don't get stuck in a rut and stop communicating just because the word doesn't come to you. Besides, circumlocution (describing the word you want or talking around the word to coney what you are trying to say to the speaker) is 100% acceptable. People do it all the time. Even native speakers of just one language.

silencedobetter
Posts: 75
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:21 am
Location: Taiwan

Post by silencedobetter » Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:38 am

imagine being multilingual. :)

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