230161 Bilingualism (S) (WiSe 2024/2025)

More people than not in the world are either bilingual or multilingual. The definitions of what bilingualism actually is differ tremendously from a more lay person's perspective which often refers to people who who grow up with two language from birth on to definitions focusing on literacy, daily usage, cultural aspects, and proficiency. In this class we will look at the problem of defining bilingualism and the various definitions that can be applied including their (possible) limitations. We will explore the definite merits of being bilingual irrespective of the languages involved. In addition we will look at bilingual language acquisition, language attrition, bilingual education, code-switching, language proficiency, and cognitive abilities in children and grown ups.