Introduction
We are immersed in a world where learning a second language is essential to be part of a globalized world, where so-called universal languages such as English, is essential to be able to relate in educational and work context.
Having the possibility to learn a second language allows us to be
participants in this evolving world, also becoming a necessity in our various
contexts like as work and education, where learning languages such as English
has become a requirement.
At the moment to learning a second language, there are diferent
essential characteristics to take into account to find a successful process; On the one hand, it is
important to be in direct contact with the language that we want to learn, on
the other hand, it is essential to recognize the characteristics of the
context, beyond its language, such as cultural aspects.
As individuals participating in
this globalized world, these are aspects that we must take into account in
order to learn one or more languages.
To explain some socio-cultural
aspects in L2 learning, such as bilingual and bicultural, through their
meaning, differences between them and examples.
The continuous interaction with the foreign context it’s
an important aspect for the bilingual, where through a dynamic processes in the
course of the speakers life, and also
through immersion in these contexts, he manages to acquire the learning of a
second language.
There are some risks that the bilingual speaker must
face, as indicated by Grosjean, F. (2013), in Bilingualism: A short
introduction, the bilingual manages to acquire the learning of a second
language through a school or natural environment, despite this , this process
can have ups and downs, due to situations such as the change of the context
where the speaker is immersed. It is important that the speaker has a constant interaction
with the environment where he is immersed.
Bilingual Example
An individual has learned 2 or more
languages in the course of his life, due to the context in which he was
immersed, or through learning in an educational context. Due to fortuitous
situations, the individual must leave the context and move to another country,
where a different language is spoken. Therefore, in the process of adapting to
the new environment, he begins to learn the new language gradually.
Bicultural
Bicultural is more deeply rooted in the individual, where the culture of a
context influences different areas of the speaker, such as their
behavior, and their values, among others.
Bicultural bilinguals manage to adapt these cultural characteristics in the
contexts in which they are immersed, having the ability to adapt to any
cultural environment, allowing them to learn the characteristics of new
contexts, including the language.
As indicated by Grosjean, F. (2013), in Bilingualism: A short introduction,
the bicultural aspects can change the different individual aspects, that are
generated by the context; the language is one of these characteristics of
culture.
Biculatural Example
The son of a
Colombian mother and an English father has been immersed since his birth in a
context where two different cultures have influenced him. Although this,
individual lives in England, he has been influenced by his mother's culture,
which has fostered in him some cultural characteristics of Colombia, including
the Spanish language. Due to this, the son of this family recognizes both
cultures, and the cultural characteristics of each one, and has also
managed to learn both languages, English and Spanish.
Conclusions
-It is important
to recognize all those factors that determine the bilingual and bicultural
context. It is possible that there may
be confusion when referring to them.
-Thanks to this
activity, I have been able to identify the bilingual and bicultural characteristics. The bilingual can achieves the learning of two or more
languages through immersion in a specific context, but in some cases this
process can be interrupted by the change
of context.
-On the other hand, there is the bicultural
context, where deeper aspects of the speakers culture, play a fundamental role in their interaction
with the environment and also in their learning.
