INTRODUCTION

 

Introduction

The bilingualism is the use of two or more languages (or dialects) in everyday life. Note that this definition includes dialects, and encompasses two or more languages (covering trilingualism, quadrilingualism, etc.). This definition accounts for many more speakers of languages than one based on fluency alone – especially if balanced fluency in the two languages is required – and hence is more realistic.

Biculturals can be characterized in the following way (Grosjean, 2008; see also

Nguyen and Benet-Martinez, 2007):

1. They take part, to varying degrees, in the life of two or more cultures.

2. They adapt, in part at least, their attitudes, behaviors, values, languages, etc. to these cultures.

3. They combine and blend aspects of the cultures involved. Some of these come from one or the other culture(s) whereas others are blends of the cultures.

Hence, some aspects of the bicultural are adaptable and controllable (this allows the bicultural to adapt to the context and situation) but other aspects are more static; they are blends of the cultures and cannot be adapted as easily.

Bilingualism and biculturalism are not necessarily coextensive. Thus, you often find bilinguals who are not bicultural. They have always lived in one culture but they know and use two or more languages.

This paper provides evidence of the implications, differences and examples of biculturalism and bilingualism.

Objective

Explain the sociocultural impact of the Bilingualism Plan in Colombia through a critical and reflexive analysis of the Colombian educational context.