1. Do you consider yourself and/or people known to you as bilingual or
multilingual? Would you describe yourself, or someone known to you,
as ‘balanced’ in ability and use of two or more languages or
somewhere else along the continuum represented in Figure 1.1 ?
Which language or languages do you think in? Does this change in
different contexts? In which language or languages do you dream,
count numbers, pray and think aloud?
2. What are the differences between taking a monolingual vs. a holistic
view of bilingualism?
Discuss some of the common beliefs or
practices in your local area regarding bilingualism and which view
they seem most closely aligned with.
3. View the YouTube video One Semester of Spanish – Love Song (
https://youtu.be/ngRq82c8Baw ). Would you argue that Mike is
bilingual? Discuss why or why not based on the various criteria for
bilingualism described in this chapter.
How would you also describe
Mike’s understanding/portrayal of Hispanic culture?
