Compare And Differences Of Bilingualism

“Our culture, our traditions, our languages are the foundations upon which we build our identity.” - Unknown. Bilingualism has many different interpretations and definitions and can cause problems in the community or unite it. The concept of bilingualism represents several different ideas, two writers, Martin Espada and Richard Rodriguez share in their essays their personal stories about being immersed into the English culture and learning the language. They share their views of what bilingualism means to them personally and make arguments about the importance of the concept. The two essayists bring awareness to the major role bilingualism plays in the communities today and highlight the effects of disagreements between cultural groups.

Rodriguez offers a different standpoint on bilingualism, and an argument he presents is that one must be willing to give up part of their native ways when learning a language to fit into the public. Rodriguez considered Spanish a private language and English a public one. This perception made him reluctant to learn English, but at the same time, it motivated him to become a part of the public by learning its language. Rodriguez uses his family life as an example of his native identity. He was not an English speaker when he was young, but upon learning the language, he drifted away from his family, and describes it rather frankly: “I was an American citizen. But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then. . . . No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness . . . . When I arrived home there would often be

What do we know about the effects bilingualism has on cognitive development? Our world is becoming progressively bilingual; in the US 21% of school age children between the ages of 5-17 years old can speak other than English at home and this number is expected to increase in the coming years. On top of social reasons, the positive effects to the cognitive development of the brain when introduced to a second language are of many. The age of acquisition is vital due to the plasticity of the brain, which according to the critical period hypothesis, begins to level after five years of age. In addition to plasticity, bilingual speakers are more capable of focusing their attention to solve complex problems compared to monolingual speakers.

As a child, I was simultaneously immersed in three completely different cultures. My mother was Chinese, yet spoke Vietnamese, my father was white, and I lived in a predominantly Spanish community. These contrasting lifestyles and cultures truly showed me the difference between a public and a private identity, and the importance behind bilingualism in the world today. However, before I can recount what I’ve learned, we must first discuss two contrasting concepts about bilingualism from two very accomplished and controversial writers: Martín Espada and Richard Rodriguez.

Although bilingual education has some merit, avoiding the implementation of the more popular language of a community is detrimental to the incorporation of mostly you people in society and hinders their ability to develop a keen sense of identity. For example, "language gets learned as it gets used (7).” In other words, one masters the language as he speaks it. Speaking and language skills tend to sharpen if they are used regularly. Rodriguez argues that learning both languages and using them rather than leaving one begins to lead to a better sense of identity and freedom. But according to Rodriguez it makes one become insecure, growing up

Bilinguals in America experience unfair treatment and are looked at differently if English is not their native language. The subject of bilingualism is not a topic many are educated on. Uneducated English speakers use their dominance and popularity of their language to treat Spanish speakers like their language and culture does not belong in our country. Martin Espada and Richard Rodriguez speak of bilingualism in their well published essays, and they write about the struggles that American citizens face when they are bilingual in Spanish and English. This essay will clearly show each writer’s definition and arguments on bilingualism and my argument on the topic.

Bilingualism to Espada means more than just speaking two languages, it symbolizes his identity. Espada argues that bilingualism is worth defending because having a second language is part of a person’s identity. Espada says, “That’s what they are trying to do to all of us,... (because I speak Spanish with my heart”)” (Espada 7). He shows the importance of his second language. Bilingualism means having a connection with culture and personal identity.

Language is defined as a system for the expression of thoughts and feelings by the use of spoken words (dictionary.com). We hear our first language before we are born. We enter the world with the ability to be comforted by the sounds we came to understand before we came out of our mother’s womb. As we grow, we use our words to express who we are becoming as an individual. We may use the same words as others, but the style of speaking we use is one that we develop over time, and is specific to us. Our language is a part of who we are and can separate us as individuals. It is a part of our personal identity. Knowing who we are also means knowing where we come from and having a connection to our heritage. In the first chapter of Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, he begins to tell the story of his decision to give up his native tongue of Spanish and begin to assimilate to American culture, with the belief he can be more successful speaking English. He argues that it is best for the student in the long run to be fully immersed with the English language, and does not believe that bilingual education, in which non-English speaking students are taught English language courses together with other subjects in their native language, is beneficial.

To become bilingual, must you lose a piece of your identity? Or can the cultures of language coexist in a person? In the essays by Martin Espada and Richard Rodriguez, the ability to maintain identity as a bilingual speaker is challenged. According to Espada, Spanish should be permitted everywhere to prevent losing a piece of one’s identity. However, Rodriguez believes that a piece of your identity must be sacrificed in order to be accepted into a new culture. For others, such as myself, there is a happy compromise; bilingualism should be encouraged and supported in public to communicate and spread understanding.

“Fob,” “Speak English!” and “Do you understand?” were questions and statements I received constantly as a child. I was born a legal citizen in America, but the discrimination I got for being Vietnamese lingered upon me for the first six years of my life. I grew up in a predominant Asian household due to my grandma’s inability to speak English; therefore, English was rarely spoken. The fear of being made fun of or laughed at prevented me from leaving my house. Beginning grade school, my teachers would have to slow down their lessons in order to keep me caught up. As I started school and was forced to learn English, I gained self confidence and a sense of belonging with the community. Being able to speak two different languages and celebrate both cultures allowed me to step out into the world and be myself. However, Richard Rodriguez grew up completely different from me. Although we both have two immigrant parents, his bilingualism separated him from the outside world and caused a division between his public and private languages. Whereas Martin Espada, who grew up in America, considers bilingualism as an identification of who people are and fights for bilingual education with his heart.

Rodriguez on the other hand talks about his own life in his early years where he had to learn english with his family. Rodriguez goes more into identity, and how he hopes to gain his “public” identity(for him it was english) while retaining private identity(spanish). Rodriguez 's idea of bilingualism is having an identity in a public language and comfort with those who speak it. For him to obtain comfort with public identity and those who speak it he loses some intimacy with his family “gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being at home; rare was the experience of feeling myself individualized by family intimates. We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by a pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separates” (Rodriguez 24) Although Rodriguez lost his anxiety with speaking english in front of others, but in exchange he lost some affection with his family. Rodriguez thinks of bilingualism essentially as comfort with the public, finding that public identity; however, sometimes you may have to give something up or a part of something to gain public identity

In the poem “Bilingual/Bilingue,” written by Rhina P. Espaillat, a young girl has different views with her father about language. The little girl knows both English and Spanish and her father doesn’t approve. Her father fears that the main character will stray from her Spanish culture, so he told her that she should speak, “English outside this door, Spanish inside” (340). Which means when she enters the doors of her home she is strictly a Spaniard, and outside the family doors she can speak English wherever she sees fit. Throughout the poem, the girl uses both English and Spanish to make a correlation between the two languages and also to prove to her father that it is okay to be Bilingual.

More than half of today’s world is bilingual. Bilingualism, the ability to speak two languages, proves its utmost importance through the position bilinguals in the U.S. face today. The ability to associate with a surrounding community, to retain your native culture and identity comes from language. Espada regards Spanish as something one should fight for with love and passion, and a language degraded by illiterate English speakers, while Rodriguez thinks that acceptance in English allows a more prominent position in society.

What does it mean to be bilingual? Does it simply pertain to the language you use to share thoughts, beliefs, and ideas with others? To many, it may seem that’s all there is to bilingualism, rather than the deeper personal meaning it posesses. Language and communication are key components of identity because they represent an individual. The way I see it, bilingualism can create beautiful and heartwarming connections and that’s shown through a person’s identity. However, there are different sides when it comes to bilingualism, for example, Martin Espada and Richard Rodriguez are two essayists who explore the benefits and hardships of bilingualism in their works, while expressing what it means to them.

To Espada, bilingualism is more than just knowing more than one language in some minds. The concept has much more depth than that; it carries the weight of a person’s cultural identity and customs, bilingualism gives these individuals a connection to their family and past. Espada speaks of a time where a Latino parent called his place of work, begging for their help, as her child’s school banned the spanish from lunch. After learning what was going he explains the situation, “The