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Does bilingualism mean biculturalism?
Citation
Tan, A. G. (1996, November 21-23). Does bilingualism mean biculturalism? [Paper presentation]. First Regional Conference on English in Southeast Asia, National Institute of Education, Singapore.
Abstract
One may easily associate bilingualism with biculturalism. Is bilingualism the same as biculturalism? Definitions of culture show that language is an essential component, but not the only one. If a person is proficient in two languages, he/she is a bilingual. However, he/she may not be a bicultural. Positive attitudes towards another culture are indispensable for a person who does not come from a bicultural family background to appreciate values and practices of a second culture. Factors that facilitate biculturalism are more complex than those governing in learning two languages. This article attempts to identify these factors through a few cases. Parents' and educators' attitudes, in a heterogeneous or a homogenous society are discussed, in how they guide pupils to learn a second language and to appreciate a second culture.
Date Issued
November 1996