Tipos de bilingüismo | bilinguismouah

TYPES OF BILINGUALISM

There are different types of bilingualism depending on specific characteristics.

Regarding the modality, we can distinguish between unimodal and bimodal bilingualism:
- Unimodal bilingualism: it occurs when a person speaks two languages under the same modality for instance, two different spoken languages.
- Bimodal bilingualism entails the acquisition of spoken and signed language. For bimodal bilinguals, one language is perceived through the auditory channel and the other is perceived through the visual one. There are certain differences between unimodal and bimodal bilinguals since bimodal bilinguals' brain is organised to control and process, and it represents two languages. In addition, the bimodal bilingual brain implies a less neuronal overlap for the two languages.

Regarding the coexistence of the languages, there are different types of bilingualism:
- Additive bilingualism: when learning a second language does not interfere with the learning of a first language. Both languages are developed. A situation where a second language is learnt by an individual or a group without detracting from the development of the first language. A situation where a second language adds to, rather than replaces the first language. This is the opposite of subtractive bilingualism.
- Subtractive bilingualism: a situation in which a second language is learnt at the expense of the first language, and gradually replaces the first language (e.g. in-migrants to a country or minority language pupils in submersion education).
- Transitional bilingualism: it is the shift from being bilingual, knowing two different languages, to only speaking one leading language. This usually happens over a period of time and can be seen within a few generations.

Regarding the age of acquisition, there are two groups of bilingualism:
- Sequential bilingualism: it occurs when a child acquires two (or many) languages simultaneously, for example when they are raised by parents speaking more than one language.
- Simultaneous bilingualism: simultaneous bilinguals are the ones who are exposed to more than one language prior to age three. They develop two or more languages equally, or nearly equally, through exposure and frequent opportunities to use each language. For example when the parental tongue is different than the main language of the community or education system.

Regarding to the language skills, we can find limited bilingualism and balanced bilingualism:
- Limited bilingualism: when a learner acquires conversational proficiency in both languages but does not attain native-like proficiency in either language.
- Balanced bilingualism: the term implies the highest possible balanced level of knowledge and usage of both languages across various situations and contexts. When talking about balanced bilingualism we are talking about near-perfect or near-complete control over two languages, which can be compared to monolingual control of a native language. Even in such an ideal situation of language development, there would still be contexts in which one language would dominate over the other.

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Bilingüismo