Bilingualism
Bilingualism is the ability to understand and be understood in two or more languages, using the different skills necessary to manage a language.
Bilingual Education
Bilingual education refers to the academic approach in which two or more languages are used to teach specific content or information.
Co- ordinate
Coordinated bilingualism refers to the acquisition of a second language in a context separate from the native language, making these completely independent.
¨Tends to be developed through an experience of different contexts¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.5).
Simultaneous
Simultaneous bilingualism is when a child of three years or less learns to acquire two languages at the same time. It refers to this age because a native language is not yet established, therefore, it acquires almost at the same level the two languages.
¨When a child learns two languages simultaneously it is inappropriate to talk about the child’s first and second languages¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.6).
Successive
In the case of successive bilingualism, the child has already established his first language, however he acquires the second one in an early childhood, making it totally different from the native one.
¨The first and second languages can be clearly differentiated and the added language is learned as a second language¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.6).
Balanced
In this case, it refers to the person who has the same level of development in the skills of both languages.
¨An individual who has native-like competence in both language¨ (Haugen, 1973. p.9)
Compound
Compound bilingualism refers to the acquisition of a second language through the teaching of words equivalent to the foreign language; it could be understood as a process of translation between languages.
¨Involves two sets of linguistic signs which become associated with a single set of meanings¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.5).
Elite
Elite bilingualism refers to the formal study of a second language.
¨ Elite bilinguals typically become bilingual through a free choice to learn a language¨(Liddicoat, 1991. p.8).
Folk
Folk bilingualism refers to the interaction and non-formal learning of a second language with native speakers.
¨The type bilingualism or the way a language is acquired that are the cause of problems in social factors¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.8).
Subtractive
Subtractive bilingualism refers to the perception that acquisition of the second language would be detrimental to an individual's native language, due to a higher cognitive load in the second language.
¨Develops when the two languages are competing rather than complementary¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.7).
Additive
Additive bilingualism refers to the balanced development of both languages making the cognitive, academic and communicative cognitive learner competent.
¨Develops when both languages and the culture associated with them bring complementary positive elements¨ (Liddicoat, 1991. p.7).