Theory of mind and bilingualism -children.

Eliza · Post by **Eliza** » Thu Oct 02, 2003 4:42 pm

Hello,
Can anybody tell me about theory of mind in bilingual children?
Thanks for any explanations or links to where I can read about it.
Eliza.

dduck · Post by **dduck** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 4:00 pm

Theory of Mind: Language and Cognition in Deaf Children

by Brenda Schick, Jill de Villiers, Peter de Villiers, and Bob Hoffmeister

What does it mean to say that a child has a Theory of Mind?

As young children mature, they develop an understanding of themselves and other people as psychological beings who think, know, want, feel, and believe. They come to understand that what they think or believe may be different from what another person thinks and believes. They also learn that much of our behavior is motivated or caused by our knowledge and beliefs.

More information can be found at:

http://www.asha.org/about/publications/ ... 021203.htm

As far I can see it's not important that the children have any second lanugage skills to have the "theory of the mind" ability.

Iain

wjserson · Post by **wjserson** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 5:04 pm

Is it the theory of what happens in the mind with bilingual children that interests you, Eliza. Or is theory of mind some special term I've never heard of?

There are many specialists who wrote about what happens to the mind when a child becomes bilingual, and how the mind of adults function when they are bilingual. But before I explain anything regarding this (and to avoid sounding like an egotistical idiot)

I'll wait for your reply)