Language
| Site: | BRIDGE-RI |
| Course: | (Coming Soon!) How are Multilingual Learners Different: Bilingual-Bicultural Experience |
| Book: | Language |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, August 24, 2025, 7:41 AM |
1. Communication v. Comprehension
When you're raised with more than one language, there is a tendency to recognize how arbitrary words and language can be. The whole point of language is to communicate so it makes very little difference what sounds, words, or language you produce to communicate your thoughts. Multilingual learners recognize that the sounds coming from your mouth should make sense, but what happens when they don't have as much experience in vocabulary, grammar, syntax, prosody, automaticity, and fluency as might be expected? Once again, comprehension may be compromised and learning is affected in various ways. Let's take a look at some aspects of "communication" that may cause more trouble for multilinguals but which represent entirely normal developmental experiences.
2. Listening Comprehension and Receptive Language
Audio Description for Listening Comprehension and Receptive Language.
3. Oral and Expressive Language, e.g., Prosody
7-Word Sentence with 7 Different Meanings
I never said he stole my money. (maybe you or someone else said it)
I never said he stole my money. (I flatly deny saying it)
I never said he stole my money. (maybe I implied it)
I never said he stole my money. (it could have been someone else)
I never said he stole my money. (maybe I actually lent it to him)
I never said he stole my money. (he actually stole someone else’s)
- I never said he stole my money. (he stole many things, but not that)
I never said he stole my money. (maybe you or someone else said it)
I never said he stole my money. (I flatly deny saying it)
I never said he stole my money. (maybe I implied it)
I never said he stole my money. (it could have been someone else)
I never said he stole my money. (maybe I actually lent it to him)
I never said he stole my money. (he actually stole someone else’s)
- I never said he stole my money. (he stole many things, but not that)
Conveying meaning with oral and expressive language in English often depends heavily on pragmatics, including the ability to emphasize the proper word in a sentence to generate the correct meaning. Such ability is not often taught directly but acquired via exposure to the language. These are experiences typical in English speaking homes, but this level of English usage is not common in the homes of multilingual learners. Those who are still learning English don't implicitly learn without explicit context repeated exposure and modeling.
4. Code Switching
Audio Description for Code Switching.