What is bilingual to you? (General discussion) Language Learning Forum

What is bilingual to you?
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Language Learning Forum : General discussion

63 messages over 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next >>

beano
Diglot
Senior Member
United KingdomRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4623 days ago
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Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Russian, Serbian, Hungarian

Message 49 of 63

08 November 2013 at 1:45pm | IP Logged

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-24 836837

I saw a report on the BBC that suggests bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia. I'm never sure whether to believe these findings but it's something to cling on to.

Edited by beano on 08 November 2013 at 1:45pm
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Avid Learner
Diglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 4663 days ago
100 posts - 156 votes

Speaks: French*, English
Studies: German

Message 50 of 63

10 November 2013 at 4:48am | IP Logged

Wow, I had no idea that "bilingual" meant something else to other people than what it means in North America.

emk wrote:

At least in my part of the US, somebody might be called "bilingual" if they speak their native language and sufficiently good English that it's never an issue. I mean, if they've spoken English every day for over a decade, in all sorts of circumstances, whether they have an accent or they have the "correct" responses under an MRI is a bit of a moot point. I mean, they're standing in front of you and they speak English perfectly well.

But in Montreal, at least as far as I can tell, "bilingue" means something more like, "I talked to them for 5 minutes in both languages, and I still can't tell which is their 'native' language." This makes perfect sense, because so many people there are so good at their second languages, but they still need a word for people who genuinely don't care which language they use.

I agree with s_allard here, I can consider myself bilingual even if it's obvious it isn't my first language. I don't know what other word I could use.

vermillon wrote:

You looked up "bilinguisme" while the topic was "bilingue". Anybody using bilinguisme would indeed refer to a narrower concept closer to what people on HTLAL think of when they say bilingual. But in French, looking up "bilingue" (not bilinguisme... hopefully you wouldn't research what "social" means looking up "socialism" :D

Larousse says:

1. Qui est en deux langues différentes : Inscription bilingue..
2. Qui use couramment de deux langues : Population bilingue[/].

So, same as what Solfrid Cristin had concluded.
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Serpent
Octoglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
serpent-849.livejour
Joined 6598 days ago
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Message 51 of 63

10 November 2013 at 7:04am | IP Logged

And why do you think you deserve a word? Become a polyglot and you'll have one :-)
(just kidding... maybe)
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Maralol
Nonaglot
Newbie
France
Joined 5019 days ago
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Speaks: Spanish, French*, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Catalan
Studies: Polish, Danish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese

Message 52 of 63

10 November 2013 at 1:55pm | IP Logged

"I saw a report on the BBC that suggests bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia.
I'm never sure whether to believe these findings but it's something to cling on to."

It's a well-known fact that multilingualism delays the onset of Alzheimer's.
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tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
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Message 53 of 63

10 November 2013 at 2:04pm | IP Logged

Quote:

It's a well-known fact that multilingualism delays the onset of Alzheimer's.

Source?
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Maralol
Nonaglot
Newbie
France
Joined 5019 days ago
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Speaks: Spanish, French*, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Catalan
Studies: Polish, Danish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese

Message 54 of 63

10 November 2013 at 4:49pm | IP Logged

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738496
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Avid Learner
Diglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 4663 days ago
100 posts - 156 votes

Speaks: French*, English
Studies: German

Message 55 of 63

11 November 2013 at 3:11am | IP Logged

I saw the reports of the study about dementia earlier this week and, especially after this discussion, I could only wonder whether there was a difference in between those who were native in two languages or had learned one later in life.

Serpent wrote:

And why do you think you deserve a word? Become a polyglot and you'll have one :-)
(just kidding... maybe)

Well, my comment wasn't about whether I wanted to be deserving of a word, but rather about understanding each other in the culture I live in. If, in a job interview here, somebody asked me if I was bilingual and I replied "No, but I am a diglot", I would be looked at as if I was from another planet. Even if I were to reply "No, but I am a polyglot" (assuming it was true, of course), I'm not sure it would come off that much better. Obviously, after reading this topic, if I had a job interview in some countries in Europe, my answer wouldn't be the same. :)

Not only that, but I have attempted to find out how to say "diglot" in French and I couldn't even find a word.
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Maralol
Nonaglot
Newbie
France
Joined 5019 days ago
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Speaks: Spanish, French*, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Catalan
Studies: Polish, Danish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese

Message 56 of 63

11 November 2013 at 9:33am | IP Logged

"Not only that, but I have attempted to find out how to say "diglot" in French and I
couldn't even find a word. "

Diglotte?

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