What is bilingual?

[honeywolf7]

If someone starts out speaking only English, how much coursework in another language would you say it would take to make them bilingual? I'm wondering because some of the jobs that I'm interested in once I finish school want a bilingual applicant (Spanish and English). Thanks.

 

[janette]

bilingual would be reasonably fluent in another language. I dont' think I know anyone who achieved this with only classes. Some time of immersion program or use of the language for an extended period would do it.

 

[TigerBear]

I don't think it is a matter of coursework making one bilingual, but rather the ability to use the language in question, whether in conversation or writing. It would also depend on what type of job as to the qualifications of "bilingual". Being able to sell a product would be much different than say being a technical writer or test administrator in the language.

 

[honeywolf7]

In this case, I would have to be able to communicate directions and describe things in Spanish to clients who needed some sort of social service Tigerbear It would be in conversation rather than in writing.

 

[janette]

Also keep in mind that schools teach proper Spanish. In Texas the spoken spanish is much different.

If you have never had a foreign language the older you are the harder it is to learn. The best bilingual people are taught 2 languages when they are babies, although some are not taught the written language they can converse very well.

 

[TigerBear]

Do you have enough mastery of conversational Spanish that you believe you could do the job? I guess why I am even questioning it is because you are obviously questioning yourself. To me, either you know how to speak Spanish or you don't. I had four semesters in college and I definitely do not know how to speak Spanish - unfortunately.

 

[honeywolf7]

Well, I have two years left of college and I have to take four semesters of a language anyway. I took Spanish when I was a Senior in High School and got a 98 for my final grade, so I think I could probably pick it up again. I'm just wondering if I'd need more semesters of Spanish than that (4 semesters is as advanced as the grammar courses get at my University) to be bilingual.

 

[Kermit]

I took 4 semesters of Spanish (I think most people with a BA took 4 sememsters of some language), and I'm nowhere close to bilingual. Maybe you could be with 4 semesters plus lots of experience talking to people who actually speak Spanish. I think it would be enough schooling to learn how to conjugate verbs, etc., but you'd need more hands-on time to hear how people actually use the language and to expand your vocabulary.

 

[jsmith]

Having a reading or written knowledge of a language will not make you bilingual- Bilingual does mean you just speak a language-you need to be able to think in it! Also, another indicator is if you dream in that language-and every one in the the dream speaks it. if you want to get a job that will require spoken Spanish on a daily basis you need to start now a be exposed it every day. I have lived my entire life where i had friends who spoke spanish in their homes-I understand spoken spanish very well, can read and write it but I can not think or dream in Spanish.

 

[mamajoan]

I have worked along side with medical based MSW's. There is a huge need for MSW's who are bilingual in many languages. Especially, Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.. out here in the Bay Area. That said, any other language that you can converse in will be of great benefit. My Spanish is EXTREMELY limited. However, I can teach someone how to use a walker or do exercises with my Spanish and ALOT of hand signals.. it is always an ice breaker with my pts. I took a medical Spanish course. It really helped me a great deal.
Adios
Joan

 

[honeywolf7]

Okay, maybe I described what I need badly. What I need to be able to do is pass a test that measures oral proficiency in Spanish. Passing the test includes: "being able to satisfy the requirements of everyday situations and routine school and work requirements. He or she can handle with confidence, but not with facility, complicated tasks and social situations, such as elaborating, complaining, and apologizing. He or she can narrate and describe with some details, linking sentences together smoothly. He or she can communicate facts and talk casually about topics of current public and personal interest, using general vocabulary. Shortcomings can often be smoothed over by communicative strategies such as filling pauses, stalling, and using different rates of speech. Circumlocution that arises from vocabulary or syntactic limitations very often is quite successful, although some groping for words may be evident. He or she can be understood without difficulty by most native speakers of the language." The level above passing requires precise words while passing requires most words correctly formed. Grammar can have some errors, be fairly accurate, and include subjunctive errors. Occasional hesitation and occasional rephrasing is okay for passing. I guess that isn't really being bilingual in my (and most of your) opinion.

 

[CBRorBust]

I agree,

I am hispanic, both my parents speak spanish, but not to us. I have had years and years of spanish class. But I am definitly NOT fluent or even try to concider myself bilingual. And I can almost promise you that you will not come out of spanish 1, 2, 3, and 4 bilingual. They teach you how to read, right, and understand it. NOT speak it. That would be conversational spanish. And that would take you a very long time.

Think of it this way, you have to be able to talk about everything from the man down the street to Field Rats in China. It just isn't going to happen in the spanish they teach you in college.

 

[SPAGo 98]

being bilingual, to me, requires fluent conversational skills, being able to talk to NATIVE speakers without stumbling.

 

[gina2000]

What happened to russian?????

I don't think you'll be even remotely bilingual after 4 semesters of any language. The proficiency test you describe still requires some ability to think in Spanish. Usually the first 2 years you are learning grammar and tense as opposed to conversation (though it is a part of the curriculum). If you immerse yourself in the language (surround yourself with Spanish speaking people on a regular basis) you will have the degree of proficiency you need to pass the test. Of course, that test is somewhat subjective so it also depends to what level of fluency the tester considers proficient. Pauses can be 2 or 20 seconds as can stalling tactics. The real test is the amount of vocabulary you have mastered.

Good luck with your choice!

 

[Olaf]

I really don't believe someone can be truly bilingual unless they live for a time in a country (or speak it at home with a native speaker) where that particular language is spoken. Even then, it takes constant work to maintain those skills.

I moved to Germany when I was 13 years old and I speak fairly good German. My accent is really good (most Germans think I'm German), but when I get into a very deep conversation, then I can get a little lost. I took German throughout my high school years and minored in it at college, and I'm still learning.

Bilingual means absolutely fluent to me, but I don't believe that's written in stone anywhere.

 

[honeywolf7]

What happened to Russian is that Spanish is more practical...so I'm going with practical rather than what I actually would prefer. I know that I could do the things I mentioned in my post after 4 years of French (I can't do all of them anymore) and I have heard that a semester in college=a year in High School (not sure if that's true.) So, I'm really hoping that I can do them after 4 semesters of Spanish. If not, I do happen to have a Mexican-American godfather who could probably help me a lot.