Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Ian Hutchesson <mc2499 AT mclink.it>]

At 23.49 20/07/99 -0400, peter_kirk AT sil.org wrote:
>Ian, it seems you are trying to squeeze yourself out of a tight spot 
>by redefining the term "bilingualism" to exclude one of the recognised 
>forms of bilingualism, I think it is called "passive bilingualism", 

Dear Peter,

I am simply not talking about bilingualism. I have consistently talked
about two similar languages from which enough can be understood to receive
a basic communication. I have said no more. To quote the previous
left-handed president: "read my lips!" Why do you insist on restructuring
my words?

>in 
>which one can understand a second language but not speak it. 

I'm talking about extracting meaning without understanding the language and
I have given you numerous examples. So, you don't like the idea, but it is
well enough documented. Live with it.

>"That one 
>can understand the content of a communication in another language 
>without speaking that language" is not irrelevant, it is a form of 
>bilngualism. 

You are playing with terminology, ie changing the significance of
bilingualism to include extraction of significance from linguistic signs
without having learnt the language to which the signs belong.

>Or maybe you are thinking of bilingualism as synonymous 
>with dual native speaker ability. 

Is that your thinking? Have I given you any hint of believing such a
proposition?

The idea that I have put to you is simple enough. What is it that is not
clear about a person speaking a language that the other does not know,
while that other person is able to *extract significance* from the language?

The first example I gave was that I could, though never having learnt
French, extract the significance from a French newspaper. Would you in any
sense term my "ability" bilingualism? Do you admit that it is possible to
extract meaning without having in any sense learnt a language?

>The latter is of course much less 
>common, usually only found in children of mixed marriages. I suggest 
>you read the literature on bilingualism (in the sociolonguistics 
>section of your local library) before continuing on this subject.

Peter, I have a degree in theoretical linguistics in which sociolinguistics
was a substantial part. I'd recommend *you* read some of those books
yourself, instead of re-interpreting the things I say to please your own
understandings.


Yours,


Ian