THE CONCEPT OF BILINGUALISM AND ITS LIMITING FACTORS

Abstract

One of the challenges which a second language learner faces is the herculean task of acquiring communicative competence in a language that belongs to a totally different family and culture. People from diverse linguistic communities are compelled to learn a second/foreign language despite their linguistic background. The effect of such language contact is bilingualism. The notion of bilingualism has raised some questionable assumptions on language proficiency and on its effect on academic development. Many people feel that bilingualism has some inherent problems because it is believed to be confusing or harmful. Bilingualism is said to be counterproductive to the child’s welfare to develop and maintain proficiency in more than one language. Consequently, many people including professionals advise parents not to bring their children up bilingually. Amidst such beliefs and arguments, one may be deceived to believe that bilingualism has no iota of merit attached to it. It has been discovered that many factors have come to bear on bilingualism. Some of these factors are linguistically based, while some are educationally, religiously and politically based. This paper therefore aims at illuminating the concept vis-a-vis the factors that militate against it. We should therefore take cognizance of the fact that the study of bilingualism is important now that our society is situated in a multicultural world.