Why bilingualism in any language is important in our globalised world

Many people still think that bilingualism with minority or minoritized languages makes children confused and puts them at a disadvantage at school. Research, in contrast, shows that having more than one language – any language - can potentially give children (and then adults) not only enhanced cultural awareness but also social, linguistic and mental benefits. However, the presence of these benefits in bilingualism with minority languages crucially depends on positive, supportive and informed attitudes around children and relies on firm community foundations for inter-generational transmission. I will illustrate these facts and show how the centre Bilingualism Matters enables families, teachers, and policy makers - in Scotland and internationally - to make decisions on bilingualism informed by research.

Antonella Sorace is a Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. She is internationally known for her research on bilingual language development, language typology, and gradience in natural language, which brings together methods from linguistics, experimental psychology and cognitive science. She is also committed to building bridges between research and society: she is the founding director of the public engagement centre Bilingualism Matters, which currently has more than 30 branches in four continents.