Events

Language-related events in Scotland and beyond. Does not claim to be comprehensive or represent the views of SCILT.

ESRC Festival of Social Sciences - Talk in two languages: a problem or a skill?

Venue: University of Strathclyde (McCance 2)
Contact: Maria Parafita
Email: maria.parafita-couto@strath.ac.uk
Telephone: 0141 548 3509 or 0141 444 8211
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Event Date: 06/11/2012 19:00 - 22:00

When talking together, bilinguals often use both their languages. Not only may they use two languages in the same conversation, but even in the same sentence. Language purists tend to consider this kind of language behaviour to be problematic and even to condemn it, arguing that it may lead to the death of minority languages. The event will show how bilinguals manage to combine two languages with very different grammars from one another, and will provide research evidence to reassure ourselves that this practice is not having a detrimental effect on minority languages. The event will also show that the worry that children might find it difficult to learn two languages is unfounded. All evidence around the world indicates that learning two or more languages is as natural as learning to walk and run.

The event is scheduled to run from 7pm - 10pm.

Advance registration is required, please email: hass-rke@strath.ac.uk 

 

Related Documents

University of Strathclyde Education Scotland British Council Scotland The Scottish Government
SCILT - Scotlands National centre for Languages