tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.comments2023-04-21T15:19:04.905+08:00Being MultilingualMadalena Cruz-Ferreirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-55809982060144561402020-10-31T21:20:24.951+08:002020-10-31T21:20:24.951+08:00Grand merci, Sergio. Foi um prazer ler o seu comen...Grand merci, Sergio. Foi um prazer ler o seu comentário! Come back any time?<br />MadalenaMadalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-62958730345601294622020-10-30T19:18:38.437+08:002020-10-30T19:18:38.437+08:00Dear Magdalena
Being multilingual permits the sav...Dear Magdalena<br /><br />Being multilingual permits the savoir-faire linguistic which opens the doors to our perception of the various nuances inter and intra language. Ultimately, it helps us to convey the meaning we seek or, better yet, to impart are thoughts.<br />My daughters do la même chose avec Portuguese, English and French. Codeswitching is the norm chez nous.<br /><br />Congratulations on this great initiative. Your words resonate big in the hearts of linguists.<br /><br />Um forte abraço<br /><br />Sergio from Brazil<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03119541244639214122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-43339350063764386092019-10-16T18:01:21.034+08:002019-10-16T18:01:21.034+08:00Interesting facts... About monolingualism Interesting facts... About monolingualism Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08575260555072311161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-17629176930858988892019-05-05T10:18:01.608+08:002019-05-05T10:18:01.608+08:00Yes! for about the first 6 years speaking Spanish,...Yes! for about the first 6 years speaking Spanish, now I can control it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11304642379356478583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-81247198538573376322019-03-14T17:36:16.785+08:002019-03-14T17:36:16.785+08:00Welcome to this blog, Susan!
I thought that reade...Welcome to this blog, Susan!<br> <br />I thought that readers might also be interested in your book <a href="http://www.helblinglanguages.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=964&Itemid=497" rel="nofollow">English through Drama – Creative activities for inclusive ELT classes</a>.<br />And in more about your work, too, at <a href="https://www.eltsuehillyard.com/" rel="nofollow">SHELTA</a>.<br><br />Thank you for your comment!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-27858954838410297312019-03-13T19:53:15.588+08:002019-03-13T19:53:15.588+08:00This is a really interesting study and one which i...This is a really interesting study and one which is dear to my heart! I'm a drama practitioner and have been teaching English through Drama for 46 years in 5 different countries with over 30 nationalities. I know how effective it is and am now conducting an on-line global out-reach course to try to help teachers learn HOW! If you would like to join the course please read all about it and contact me here: https://www.eltsuehillyard.com/admissions<br />Up to now I have trained thousands of teachers on F2F courses around the world and 183 from 24 countries on my on-line course. It is an exciting experience for us all and I know I'm changing the lives of thousands of language students around the globe! Best wishes, <br />Susan HillyardSusan Hillyardhttps://www.eltsuehillyard.com/admissionsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-38559763055601067762018-08-31T16:03:17.225+08:002018-08-31T16:03:17.225+08:00Hi ‘Anonymous’ – since you chose to remain so,
Fir...Hi ‘Anonymous’ – since you chose to remain so,<br><br />First of all, sorry about this belated response, your comment reached me only yesterday!<br><br />You wrote:<br />“strict about the OPOL rule” <br />We started off OPOL-ing in my family, too, but soon realised this couldn’t work as a ‘strict’ rule, much for the reasons you say. Another reason is here:<br /><a href="https://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2013/10/numbers-and-languages.html" rel="nofollow">Numbers and languages</a><br />So our parental languages became the default rule instead: we used (and still use) them with the children when there was no reason to switch to a different language.<br><br />You asked:<br />“Should I start only using English when the three of us are together?”<br />I don’t see why you should do that. Your girl needs all the input in Lithuanian that she can possibly get, not least because you live in a place where English is mainstream. In addition, exposure to Lithuanian in this natural way may well assist your husband in developing his own skills in your language.<br> <br />I hope you will want to <a href="https://www.beingmultilingual.com/Profile_and_Contacts.html" rel="nofollow">contact me</a> privately, so we can continue this discussion. I’m sure this short reply doesn’t address all of your concerns.<br><br />Thanks for this comment and your kind words about my work!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-63083617964603307922018-07-28T13:49:16.722+08:002018-07-28T13:49:16.722+08:00Hi Madalena! I have just discovered your blog and ...Hi Madalena! I have just discovered your blog and have been devouring it for the last couple of hours. <br />I am Lithuanian, my husband American, and our 3.5 year old daughter perfectly fluent in both Lithuanian and English so far. We live in the US, and my daughter stays at home with me, so has more exposure to Lithuanian. She is starting a preschool in a month, though. We have been happily strict about the OPOL rule until quite recently...<br />One difficulty with it, we're experiencing, is probably quite common, e.g. when I get involved playing with a group of English-speaking kids, it only seems fair for me to speak in English with everyone, not excluding my daughter. However, it feels very unnatural and awkward talking directly to her in English...<br />Another, a bigger worry of mine (and more of a comment to this particular post of yours - sorry for the previous off the topic deviation) is that we are not truly a multilingual family, as my husband doesn't speak nor understand Lithuanian. After a few short efforts to learn it, he gave up on it, claiming to be comfortable with only knowing some words and just getting a grasp of what I and my daughter are talking about. I have enormous worries about what happens when she's older (hence more complicated interaction between me and her), or when we have more children (hence sibling language, as I just read in one of your other posts) and if then my husband feels completely out of loop... Should I start only using English when the three of us are together? Right now I use a mix of Lithuanian and English, avoiding to talk directly to my daughter if I use English.<br />Family holidays in Lithuania have become a huge burden for all of us, to an extent that I prefer to travel alone with my daughter. <br />Do you have any thoughts on these issues, or advice for "half-multilingual" family as ours?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-2273093990721025372018-05-21T23:10:29.443+08:002018-05-21T23:10:29.443+08:00Idelia: The RG discussion where I talk about “bad ...Idelia: The RG discussion where I talk about “bad grammarians” (*smiles!!*) is here – for the benefit of other blog readers: <br /><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/post/Can_a_L2_learner_with_no_formal_learning_in_L1_learn_a_L2_in_a_formalized_classroom_setting_This_classroom_setting_being_in_her_native_country/1" rel="nofollow"><i>Can a L2 learner with no formal learning in L1, learn a L2 in a formalized classroom setting? This classroom setting being in her native country</i></a><br><br />Many thanks for mentioning it and for your kind words about my work!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-37770375762365892322018-04-25T17:03:35.812+08:002018-04-25T17:03:35.812+08:00I love your blog. Thank you! I found you in the co...I love your blog. Thank you! I found you in the comment section of RG when you were talking about "learning a language" vs "learning about the language". <br />PS: I'm bad grammarian hehe Tirta Kusuma Pustakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09877137788626439052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-22276394815839688912018-04-10T16:13:02.733+08:002018-04-10T16:13:02.733+08:00Same here, Anonymous!! Off the accent topic, this ...Same here, Anonymous!! Off the accent topic, this reminded me of these ‘translation equivalents’: <i>take French leave</i> and <i>filer à l'anglaise</i>. It’s too hard to take a good look in the mirror.....<br><br />Thanks for putting me in a good humour!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-16263650504868592332018-04-08T11:25:05.936+08:002018-04-08T11:25:05.936+08:00I laughed a lot when I heard that the Swedish chef...I laughed a lot when I heard that the Swedish chef on The Muppet Show was known in Sweden as the Norwegian chef!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-54597449262266645192017-04-16T20:16:54.851+08:002017-04-16T20:16:54.851+08:00Candace: Your point about awareness of dialect swi...Candace: Your point about awareness of dialect switching is very relevant. My take is that what is involved in this, as in awareness of register switching (how we talk to elders vs. children, or in formal settings vs. hanging out with mates, for example), is exactly similar to what’s going on when we switch among what we call ‘languages’: brain workout. My take is also that we know too little about what precisely <i>causes</i> brain flexibility, as I argue in the blog post. Solving crossword/sudoku puzzles, practising for job application IQ tests, <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2010/11/brains-and-fears.html" rel="nofollow">driving taxis</a> would be equally likely causation candidates.<br><br />On the relationship between literacy and ability to manipulate language structure, have a look at my article <a href="https://www.academia.edu/1107744/First_language_acquisition_and_teaching" rel="nofollow">‘First language acquisition and teaching’</a>?<br><br />Many thanks for joining this discussion!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-89246891115227541262017-04-15T07:56:40.419+08:002017-04-15T07:56:40.419+08:00Would the linguistic awareness/flexibility hypothe...Would the linguistic awareness/flexibility hypothesis apply to this? The linguistic awareness/flexibility hypothesis suggests that when a person is able to think about language and understand different shifts in dialects, they are more apt to demonstrate higher capabilities in literacy. Even though this theory doesn't focus exclusively on spoken language, it does focus on the ability to manipulate language in different contexts(code switch). It is my understanding that bilingual speakers do have stronger <br />code-switching abilities? I would think that would have to be pretty good exercise for the brain and a highly probable determinant of a strong brain.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11965087849926963013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-38039674605002723912017-01-21T19:47:24.441+08:002017-01-21T19:47:24.441+08:00Anonymous: I’ve had similar experiences to yours a...Anonymous: I’ve had similar experiences to yours and I react in the same way... It is as if multilinguals were handicapped, unaware of being so, and therefore in need of benevolent guidance to the normality fold?? Hilarious indeed!<br><br />You may have come across these related posts:<br /><a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2012/03/attitudes-towards-language-uses.html" rel="nofollow">‘Attitudes towards language uses’</a><br><br /><a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2011/05/non-native-common-ground.html" rel="nofollow">‘(Non-)native common ground’</a><br><br />Thank you for your engaging comment!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-49926708565730159152017-01-20T04:29:26.495+08:002017-01-20T04:29:26.495+08:00Hi Madalena, thank you for you blog, really cleare...Hi Madalena, thank you for you blog, really cleared up some things for me.<br />I want to share my experience. I was raised in multi-lingual household so you could say I'm bilingual. Well, I work with languages so eventually I realized that if you introduce yourself as a native speaker of a language with no connections to other cultures/languages people just shrug it off and assume you are a variation - that is, if they previously had any questions about your non-standard accent. Interestingly enough, in situations when people assume you are a native speaker and then find out that your are "not quite" one, they start taking notice in your speech patterns, help out with word choice, correct slang usage. I personally find all of this hilarious. This is pure psychology above everything else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-29233276961706176382016-05-29T16:55:21.008+08:002016-05-29T16:55:21.008+08:00Thank you, Tim!
Here’s the hyperlink to your arti...Thank you, Tim! <br />Here’s the hyperlink to your article, which didn’t come through in your comment:<br /><a href="https://www.academia.edu/25226709/Is_a_Native-like_Accent_in_a_Foreign_Language_Achievable_Examining_Neurological_Sociological_Psychological_and_Attitudinal_Factors" rel="nofollow">Is a Native-like Accent in a Foreign Language Achievable? Examining Neurological, Sociological, Psychological, and Attitudinal Factors</a><br /><br />Your article is very relevant to this blog post and to many of my takes on further language learning. I particularly liked your review of the literature on “alleged” <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2010/11/age-decay-and-missed-opportunities.html" rel="nofollow">age/biological ‘contraints’</a> (pp. 62ff.) defeating language learners, one of my own pet peeves, and your discussion that <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2011/09/multilingual-accents.html" rel="nofollow">“accent is a choice”</a> (pp. 73ff.), with which I fully agree.<br /><br />I’ve checked your Google+ page, too, and I’m very glad to learn about your research. Thanks again! <br /><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-86761958416545447962016-05-29T12:25:20.539+08:002016-05-29T12:25:20.539+08:00That is an interesting article. Here is an in-dept...That is an interesting article. Here is an in-depth analysis on the subject in case you are interested:<br />https://www.academia.edu/25226709/Is_a_Native-like_Accent_in_a_Foreign_Language_Achievable_Examining_Neurological_Sociological_Psychological_and_Attitudinal_Factors<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407920588389060747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-35269759556352069612016-05-06T21:07:59.316+08:002016-05-06T21:07:59.316+08:00Anonymous: This is the first comment I receive fro...Anonymous: This is the first comment I receive from you, so I’m glad you wrote back.<br /><br />Do contact me privately, if you have questions about choices in your home language policies and/or your research. You’ll find my Contact Information under ‘About Me’ on the blog’s pages.<br /><br />Obrigada for your kind words about my work!<br /><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-68459228911136405432016-05-06T19:39:38.954+08:002016-05-06T19:39:38.954+08:00Again, as I am unsure as to your receival of my fo...Again, as I am unsure as to your receival of my former comment, I simply want to type a big 'chapeau' to you and your efforts, along with the conscious or inadvertent linguistic decisions made by your parents, yourself and your partner. Further, as an originally bilingual (now plurilingual) father of one, I am trying-while-curious to instill many languages in our child in this 'bilingual' city of Barcelona, as a foreign family from two different language 'groups'. In addition, I am toying with the idea of pursuing a PhD in this somewhat convuluted linguistic domain. Any thoughts or advice are/is welcome, although you have provided a treasure trove of information as it is ! Obrigado.....(elmantawi@yahoo.com)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-65045532636213711532016-04-11T23:07:58.135+08:002016-04-11T23:07:58.135+08:00This is a spot-on observation, Eric, thank you so ...This is a spot-on observation, Eric, thank you so much for sharing it here. <br /><br />It is extra interesting to me, given my research focus on matters of prosody, and the fact that language-specific pitch height, as you notice in your own speech, has been less documented in the literature than pitch variation serving different purposes in the same language (e.g. politeness, assertiveness). Do let me know if you’d like to have a couple of references on this, by the way.<br /><br />My guess is that you’re likely to be a good listener, and quite willing to accommodate to the Spanish speech patterns you hear around you. You may also have noticed that different Spanishes, like different Englishes or Portugueses, also use pitch height in different ways? Which only reinforces my take that languages, and ‘accents’, are much more than just the sounds that we’re used to transcribe in print.<br /><br />Great comment, thanks again!<br /><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-9567568498835494362016-04-10T13:24:07.754+08:002016-04-10T13:24:07.754+08:00I'm from the southeast in the United States. I...I'm from the southeast in the United States. I would say I have a neutral American accent, but when I speak Spanish the pitch of my voice is much higher. I guess I was just curious if this happens to other people. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16089838097434292675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-37759622323837909682016-01-15T17:08:39.886+08:002016-01-15T17:08:39.886+08:00‘Unknown’ (?Andrew),There may be no bias in your o...‘Unknown’ (?Andrew),<br>There may be no bias in your observation at all: we are what we hear/see around us through our languages, see e.g. <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2011/06/people-see-people-do.html" rel="nofollow">‘People see, people do’</a> and related articles.<br><br />This is why the gap that you mention may be difficult to bridge. We do accommodate to our different environments if we so wish, as I’ve also discussed for example in <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2012/11/linguistic-ghettos.html" rel="nofollow">‘Linguistic ghettos’</a>, but we need exposure to the different uses of our language(s) in each of those environments to be able to make a choice.<br><br>Particularly where home and school uses of language are concerned, my current post, <a href="http://beingmultilingual.blogspot.com/2016/01/being-multilingual-at-home.html" rel="nofollow">‘Being multilingual at home’</a>, deals with the widespread and very mistaken assumption that the concept of ‘knowing a language’ can be understood independently from where, why, by whom, etc., that language is used to us and required of us. My coming post (6th February) ‘Being multilingual in school’ will have more on this.<br><br />Thank you so much for this comment and your thoughts!<br><br />Madalena Madalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-8143226625077794022016-01-14T08:00:11.411+08:002016-01-14T08:00:11.411+08:00Your point about the difference between academic-l...Your point about the difference between academic-language and media-language resonates with something from a different post of yours, about the difference between home uses of language and school uses of language and how fluency is situational rather than universal. I've noticed that my family's home language seems to be more similar to academic language than the home languages of my peers. I'm curious to hear if you have any thoughts on how to bridge this linguistic gap? Certainly in my case, I suspect the education level of my parents and grandparents contributed to the use of academic-type language patterns in my own home, but I wonder if that's just confirmation bias?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06249961751541996829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-45968372562641802522015-12-10T19:01:16.842+08:002015-12-10T19:01:16.842+08:00Anonymous: A pity you didn’t let me know your name...Anonymous: A pity you didn’t let me know your name.<br><br />I’m always delighted to hear from former students, do use my contact information included in ‘About me’ here at the blog any time?<br><br />Thanks!<br><br />MadalenaMadalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.com