Free English Language Dissertations - Bilingualism And Intelligence: The Link Of Negativity Introduction In Her
Bilingualism and Intelligence:
The Link of Negativity
Introduction
In her article about bilingualism in the children of immigrants, Tanya Golash-Boza points out, "from the founding of the country until well into the twentieth century, school officials in the United States enforced a strict English-only policy" (2005). This meant that children were often not allowed to communicate in their native tongues to each other. This held for the classroom as well was for the playground. Thus, children who spoke a language other than English were given the very clear message that speaking their own language must somehow be wrong. The fact that they were forbidden to express themselves freely during their leisure or recreational time served to underscore this message.
This is one of many examples of the negative associations that often come hand in hand with bilingualism. Some of the associations, like this one, are evident and out in the open. Others, however, are more insidious. As Golash-Boza put it, "the implication is that although we purport to celebrate multiculturalism, it appears that there continue to be disadvantages associated with nonconformity to Anglo culture" (2005). This "nonconformity to Anglo culture"or bilingualismis often portrayed negatively and often linked with traits such as lower intelligence. This paper will examine bilingualism within this context. First, it will explore the research that has been done over the years to trace the sense of discrimination that has been a part of the bicultural experience. Then it will analyze the discrimination in order to not only understand, but offer ways to overcome, this obstacle in multicultural communication that is deleterious to all of society.
Discrimination in Cognitive Development Research
Cognitive development is defined as the series of transitions that take place in a child's cognitive abilities and processes. Cognitive performance in children has to do with the development stages of those children. According to Piaget, one of the integral components of cognitive development is classification (Inhelder & Piaget, 1959). In the infancy stage, children begin noticing similarities and differences in the world around them. Soon they are able to form graphic collections. Eventually they are able to sort things by using a single characteristic, such as color, and as they continue to develop, they are able to classify objects in increasingly complex ways. This is known as hierarchical categorization.
Hierarchical categorization in children is a topic that has been extensively studied. It is generally thought that along with the ability to categorize in hierarchical ways, children develop language skills, and that the two are closely linked. Once language begins to play a part in the research, it naturally follows that the "language" in question be defined.
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