Common Misconceptions
While we know bilingualism is a wonderful ability that comes with a number of benefits, there are also many misconceptions. Several of the most common are listed below.
Allowing my child to be bilingual will interfere with their acquisition of English.
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Vulnerable populations should not be exposed to multiple languages because it might disrupt their linguistic development.
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Bilingualism is detrimental to verbal intelligence and leads to confusion.
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Related articles
Collier, V. “Acquiring a Second Language for School,” Directions in Language and Education (1995) 1(4).
Maria Vender, Mirta Vernice, & Antonella Sorace. (2021). Supporting Bilingualism in Vulnerable Populations. Sustainability, 13(13830), 13830.
Nickels, L., Hameau, S., Nair, V. K. K., Barr, P., & Biedermann, B. (2019). Ageing with bilingualism: benefits and challenges. Speech, Language and Hearing, 22(1), 32–50.
Wilkinson, E., & Morford, J. P. (2020). How bilingualism contributes to healthy development in deaf children: A public health perspective. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 24(11), 1330-1338.
de Valenzuela, J., Kay-Raining Bird, E., Parkington, K., Mirenda, P., Cain, K., MacLeod, A. A., Segers, E. (2016). Access to Opportunities for Bilingualism for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Key Informant Interviews.Journal of Communication Disorders, 63, 32 - 46