Léirbhreithniú ar Thorthaí Taighde ar an Dátheangachas: An Overview of Research on Bilingualism

Bilingualism remains a controversial topic today, despite many decades of research. This paper discusses some of this research, looking at the different types of bilingualism, and the range of factors in the home (such as different parental language strategies) and community which impact on the development of bilingualism. Some of the theories regarding simultaneous bilingual acquisition are examined and described, using examples from the author's data on a young simultaneous bilingual and from a number of other studies. The contentious issue of whether bilingualism can be cognitively advantageous or disadvantageous is discussed in light of a number of research results. Finally, some of the findings regarding the neurological aspects of bilingualism are discussed.