In Order to Learn How Your Student Learns: Learn a Language Through Additive Bilingualism

by tracyconger in Social Sciences, June 14, 2011

Rather than teaching students to subtract their language in order to learn a new one additive bilingualism reinforces the language one already has rather than trying to take it away from the student. The world has many languages and through reading this article you may ask yourself “How does additive bilingualism apply to my embracing other peoples’ identity, culture, and language? Although this question is asked here it is one to think about in terms of students and apply it to the entire world. Language and culture is important to reinforce while still helping others acquire a second language.

Another skill for a teacher is to think in terms of additive bilingualism. Additive bilingualism is “adding a new language rather than subtracting an existing one.” The idea is that two languages is better than one. By having an additive bilingualism disposition, the teacher can better serve the student by encouraging both languages. This additive bilingualism makes people “stronger individually and as a society”. Supporting another language makes is so that the teacher does not look down on another language. This perception or attitude is something that the students pick up from the teacher. See page 214 of Nieto’s article.

In order to better help language minority learners, teachers must know about “first and second language acquisition”. Knowing the difficulty in learning a language by studying language acquisition and by actually learning a foreign language will help the teacher better empathize with the students and be able to be more realistic with their needs and difficulties.

Additive bilingualism seems to have a relationship to learning about any skill or knowledge set such as herbs. Your discovery on herbal remedies and the power you harness to research science behind these powerful herbs (more like a hammer than like a sledge-hammer) give the body what it needs whethering the storm of continued endurance. Learn how some herbs or minerals such as selenium are needed in the body. Learn why it is emphasized that there are natural sources of selenium that are vegetable-based. http://herb-discovery.com Learn!…and you will be up a notch in your ability to learn other life skills as well.