CDECamaradeestudios.com

The Bilingualism Process

By Ricardo Giraldo C. MAE

The purpose of this presentation is to comment on and quote, about the bilingualism process, applied to learn Spanish as a second language (SL) in an instructional learning environment. The presentation is divided into three parts:
1. Bilingualism and cognition.
2. Theories and research about the acquisition and raising a
bilingual learner.
3. Conclusions and recommendations to accelerate an SL process.

1. Bilingualism and cognition.
Bilingualism is defined as the ability to communicate in two languages or two different systems of communication and Cognition is the process of understanding or the action of receiving knowledge by a natural acquisition or a conscious learning setting.
The acquisition is a process subconscious of learning, informal and categorical generally accomplished by the practice or the repetition.
The learning is a process explicit, conscious formal of learning generally accomplished into an instructional setting, depending on the aptitude to moving from simple to complex situations.
2. Theories and research about language acquisition and raising a
bilingual learner.
During the last fifty years, studies about how the mental process of bilingualism occurred have been defined in multiple ways, for example:
a. Assumption of cause and effect;
b. Centered on the relationship between bilingualism and cognition;
c. Stages of a second language acquisition
These multiple theories about bilingualism acquisition and learning can make us think in the possibility that an SL learner could be bilingual without the study of Grammar or a classroom setting or that children can learn the first language at home and as teens have to learn an SL in a school setting, if not they will observing miscommunication using both languages.
We can find many articles about these thoughts about bilingualism and acquisition however, there are four theories commonly used to explain a model of equilibrium or process of becoming bilingual.
The cognitive-developmental or genetic epistemology theory and model of equilibrium was originally developed by Dr. Jean Piaget (1950, 1954, 1973) and Dr. Krashen (1982-1985). They wrote about the Model of Equilibrium or The Process of Bilingualism considering four factors psycholinguistic:
1. Maturation as the biological base refers to acquisition (subconscious learning) as a learning process occurring automatically through direct experience into a physical and social environment.
2. Maturation/Interlanguage is metaphorically the process of a bridge construction between two separate linguistic systems, in which the learner attempts to produce or use vocabulary and expressions in a SL maintain a cognitive reasoning keeping a constant revision of a target language linguistic norms and communication strategies (conscious learning) with the purpose to modify, replace or add new vocabulary and expression to his knowledge.
3. Acculturation is the process of second language acquisition (SLA) that occurs associate to the learner’s degree of acculturation or time evolved in the process of cultural adaptation; this theory link time and learning process of SLA without any formal instruction adjusted to a new cultural environment.
4. The Monitor model is based on five hypotheses (acquisition-learning- natural order- comprehensive input- affective filter) applied to monitor all the ways learners communicate and making indirect corrections. When bilingualism occurs by acquisition, the learners understand what people speak and is observe subconscious learning using a second language and keeps a natural order to acquiring language rules...
When the SLA is monitored by a tutor or in a classroom environment, the learning process of acculturation and bilingualism occurs rapidly, the learning is systematically stepped because learners apply acquisition and conscious learning.
No exist contradictions in the terms, factors or strategies used to promote cognition by acquisition or an instructional setting. The simple difference will be a relation of cause and effect or consequence that affecting in the learner accuracy and fluency using an SL.
Students at the school learning an SL in an instructional setting generally could accelerate their conscious learning with the support of a tutor, who helps to clarify grammatical rules of an SL, increase pronunciation and bring the opportunity to practice the target language in the comfort of his home, his natural environment, to master a SL program in a short time.
The key to the success of learning SL is controlling the factors that could decrease students' motivation provoking stress and lack of confidence using a target language. CDEC- Chamber of Studies offers Spanish tutoring services to students of all ages learning by immersion or in an instructional setting. If you are interested in a Spanish tutor, click this link Registration to explore our services and start to receive Spanish classes.