Introduction
In the modern world, people have access to travel to different countries, as well as to communicate with people of different nationalities through social networks and the Internet. In order to be able to share and learn about the cultures of other countries, people began to learn additional languages besides their native ones. Under the influence of this, such trends as bilingualism and multiculturalism began to form. These directions allowed cultures to enrich themselves and people from different countries to learn and adopt collective experience.
Discussion
Bilingualism is the ability of certain groups of the population to explain themselves in two languages and the phenomenon of understanding two languages by individual speakers. It is widely believed that only those who speak two languages from early childhood can be considered bilinguals: children from mixed marriages, for example, or children of emigrants (Anderson et al. 253). A bilingual person can speak two or more languages that may not be native to them. Most often, a bilingual, like everyone who knows several languages, has a dominant primary language, which is more accessible and more familiar to speak. If talking about bilingualism as a bilingual person, it should be noted that each bilingual has their vocabulary and level of language proficiency (Laine and Lehtonen 1208). As a bearer of a particular culture, in which national stereotypes of behavior and a specific worldview are embedded, a bilingual act as a national type.
Bilingualism can be both an innate and an acquired factor. Natural bilingualism is spoken of when mastering two languages begin in early childhood. Altarriba and Heredia state that the second language is assimilated at this age thanks to the exact mechanisms as the first (14). The older the child gets, the more complex the means of his language acquisition become. A special case among bilinguals is the ability to translate since not every bilingual can work as a translator, every translator must be bilingual (Laine and Lehtonen 1212). The bilingualism of a professional translator is not only the knowledge of two languages but also, above all, the ability to find equivalent analogs and means of expressing thoughts in languages.
Knowledge of languages contributes to the development of flexibility of thinking, attention, and a clearer understanding of the difference of cultures. Anderson et al. claim that monolingualism of many parts of the USA, Australia, and Britain, where the popularity of foreign languages continues to fall, contradicts international trends (278). Bilingualism and multilingualism are conquering entire countries. Nevertheless, bilingualism helps to broaden one’s horizons, get acquainted with the cultures of other countries and develop in general.
Bilingual people can keep both languages active at the same time. This forms the skill of concentrating on different things at the same time. Such a person knows how to achieve their goals and makes fewer mistakes. People who know several languages simultaneously develop ingenuity and creative thinking. Bilinguals have a flexible mind and a strong memory, as learning languages helps train and develop mental abilities (Altarriba and Heredia 38). People who know several languages are very attentive and observant. It is easy for such a person to plan their affairs, solve daily household tasks and find a way out of difficult situations (Altarriba and Heredia 40). A bilingual person thinks in an orderly manner and knows how to set goals for themselves.
Bilinguals learn new languages more quickly because they memorize new words better, and grammar is also more straightforward for them; they feel confident even in complex constructions. It is easy for them to catch the subtlest shades of the meaning of foreign words, to perceive the realities that exist in one culture and are absent in another (Byers-Heinlein and Lee-Williams 98). Therefore, the communication skills of bilingual people are more developed. Bilingual people have well versed in human emotions thanks to their abilities. Bilinguals are able to select the main thing in the text, filter information and delete unnecessary facts. They can communicate with representatives of other nations, quickly navigate any situation, and are also more receptive to everything new.
In addition to the many positive aspects that bilingualism entails, there are also negative consequences, especially concerning bilingual children. The speech development of some children with bilingualism is characterized to one degree or another by a violation of all structural components of speech, namely phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, and coherent speech. In children with bilingualism, as in children who speak the same language, speech disorders can be complex, including the manifestation of stuttering and other speech diseases that can be identified during a routine speech therapy examination. Interaction with parents will help the speech therapist learn some features of the child’s native language and not make mistakes in the differential diagnosis of speech disorders (Byers-Heinlein and Lee-Williams 101). One way or another, bilingualism has many advantages and has a significant impact on the development of such a direction as multiculturalism.
Multiculturalism is a policy that preserves and develops cultural differences in a particular country and the world and a theory or ideology that justifies such a policy. This is due to respect for the rights of the entire population of any country, regardless of ethnic, racial, and religious differences of people. In a multiculturalist society, all citizens of the country have equal rights to develop their culture, language, traditions, and ethnic and religious values (Levrau and Loobuyck 3). Such a community promotes the launch of new educational institutions, the publication and writing of articles and journals in different languages. In addition, the principles of multiculturalism are widely supported not only by the political elite but also by other representatives of the nation who do not hold high positions.
The theoretical basis of multiculturalism is liberalism, especially its values such as freedom, equality, and fraternity. Moreover, a multiculturalist society is a liberal society in which it is possible to overcome not only social injustice but also injustice associated with racism (Mansouri and Modood 7). However, unlike liberalism, multiculturalism deals with the rights of ethnic and cultural groups, not individuals. Johansson state that multiculturalism is a very close policy in essence to the policy of tolerance (2). The most important feature of a tolerant society is the parallel existence of different cultures. In a tolerant society, multiculturalism contributes to the mutual enrichment of cultures, which is due to the penetration of one culture into another to further the cultural unification of people.
In recent decades, the development of society has been proceeding in line with the global integration process, in which there is an intensive mixing of various ethnic groups and ethnic cultures. In a globalizing society, a person is constantly at the boundary of culture, interaction with which requires him to be dialogical, understanding, and respect other people’s cultural identities (Mansouri and Modood 9). Multiculturalism proceeds from the need for a person to overcome the rigid framework of his identity in order to recognize the value of different cultures. This process is presented in the concept of multiculturalism as the unity of the legal and moral components of the spiritual sphere of public life (Johansson 4). The morality of multiculturalism lies in the demand for respect for all other cultures and legality — in recognition of universal human rights.
Over time, the strengths and weaknesses of modern multiculturalism have been identified, and supporters and opponents of this ideology have appeared. It manifests itself through the propaganda of migrants or through some evolution of people who belong to different ethnic groups. The advantages of multiculturalism are the elimination of racial discrimination, the emergence of new sources of knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as skilled labor (Levrau and Loobuyck 7). In addition, multiculturalism makes it possible to choose another culture or religion and study the customs and customs of the peoples of other countries, their religion, and their language.
Opponents of multiculturalism pay attention to several inevitable problems during the implementation of its ideas. The main difficulty in the first stage is the language barrier and social and religious conflicts between people (Mansouri and Modood 11). It is difficult for young children to get used to local customs and culture, which negatively affects their academic performance. On the other hand, managers face difficulties in managing a multinational team, so they have to establish mutual understanding. The theory of multiculturalism points to the possibility of peaceful coexistence of different cultures in a single political space, but this statement is not confirmed or substantiated by anything. Often, migrants and their host countries begin to view each other as competitors who are fighting for resources and territory. This leads to new conflicts and political instability.
For the first time, the concept of multiculturalism appeared in Canada, where the French-speaking and English-speaking population lives. The policy of the local authorities, which was aimed at the development of multiculturalism, is not accepted by everyone. Before the end of the Second World War, only those who belonged to the Caucasian race could come to Australia for permanent residence (Levrau and Loobuyck 9). But when the Government felt a shortage of labor resources in the early 60s of the last century, control over migration was somewhat weakened. During this period, immigrants from Asian countries began to appear in the country.
When the flow of immigrants became massive, the Australian Government urgently took several measures to prevent discrimination against them. They strongly supported ethnic groups in a difficult situation, recognized immigrants’ rights from other countries, and launched programs on television and radio to support different cultural groups. The development of multiculturalism in the United States has taken a different path. Until the 70s, the Government recognized the policy of assimilation (Levrau and Loobuyck 9). Migrants could live in America but at the same time identify its culture and integrate into it; otherwise, they were discriminated against.
Conclusion
In conclusion, bilingualism and multiculturalism have been discovered for a long time. Nevertheless, the possibilities of communication using the Internet, traveling, and learning foreign languages have developed people’s ability to know two or more languages at once. These skills, in turn, gave impetus to the development of multiculturalism. Both bilingualism and multiculturalism have their advantages and disadvantages, but still, the community is actively working to ensure that both directions actively develop and take place.
Works Cited
Altarriba, Jeanette, and Roberto Heredia. An Introduction to Bilingualism Principles and Processes. Routledge, 2018.
Anderson, John, et al. “The Language and Social Background Questionnaire: Assessing Degree of Bilingualism in a Diverse Population.”Behavior Research Method, vol. 50, no. 1, 2018, pp. 250-263.
Byers-Heinlein, Krista, and Casey Lew-Williams. “Bilingualism in the Early Years: What the Science Says.” Learning Landscapes, vol. 7, no. 1, 2013, pp. 95-112.
Johansson, Thomas. “In Defence Of Multiculturalism – Theoretical Challenges.”International Review of Sociology, vol. 1, no. 1, 2022, pp. 1-14.
Laine, Matti, and Minna Lehtonen. “Cognitive Consequences of Bilingualism: Where to Go from Here?”Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 9, 2018, pp. 1205-1212.
Levrau, François, and Patrick Loobuyck. “Introduction: Mapping the Multiculturalism- Interculturalism Debate.”Comparative Migration Studies, vol. 6, no. 13, 2018, pp. 1-13.
Mansouri, Fethi, and Tariq Modood. “The Complementarity of Multiculturalism and Interculturalism: Theory Backed by Australian Evidence.”Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 44, no. 16, 2021, pp. 1-20.