Language is the primary method through which individuals express their feelings and attitudes towards others. Linguistic diversity across various cultures may have an impact on human development. Consider the case of a six-year-old student who has joined the United States public education system. The learner has a different linguistic background other than the native English language. There are several potential challenges the student may face.
The first potential challenge that the student may face is inadequate language development. Studies indicate that oral language has a significant impact on the development of the written language. The learner uses the English language in school and a different language at home. This may derail the development of the oral English language, which may significantly impact the written language. The bilingual environment poses a challenge to the language development of the student. The learner may, therefore, experience difficulties in learning the English language, which is used in the US education system. The student may consequently end up incompetent in the second language.
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Secondly, the student may have issues in expressing himself or herself due to language incompetence. Studies indicate that individuals who are incompetent in their second language may have limitations when expressing themselves. They feel inhibited to express their personality in totality (Chen, & Bond, 2010). The linguistic background of the learner may limit the second language development. This may result in language incompetency in the English language, which hinders his or her ability to express their personality. This may lead to social issues with other students in school.
There are several advantages linked to bilingualism that the student may get due to his or her linguistic background. First, research indicates that bilingual students have intensified intelligence compared to their monolingual counterparts. They are more focused and less distracted in their academic endeavors. For this reason, the student is likely to perform quite well in academics. Secondly, the learner is expected to develop better cognitive skills that are essential for academic excellence (Marian, & Shook, 2012). This is because bilingualism keeps the mind of an individual active to enable the brain to handle different tasks. The student may, therefore, experience significant improvement in their cognitive development due to the different linguistic background.
References
Chen, S. X., & Bond, M. H. (2010). Two languages, two personalities? Examining language effects on the expression of personality in a bilingual context. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(11), 1514-1528.
Marian, V., & Shook, A. (2012, September). The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. In Cerebrum: the Dana forum on brain science (Vol. 2012). Dana Foundation.
