Prejudice against plurilinguals by monolinguals?

[Bonsoir]

I live in a plurilingual sort of environment and have done for much of my life. Bringing up my DD bilingually, I have become aware of a great deal of prejudice against bilinguals and plurilingualism by monolinguals. Has anyone else encountered this? Do you think it is fueled by fear? Ignorance? Envy?

Hold on. Can I just clarify something?

So my child is bilingual French- English. The one language taught at secondary school is drench so that's the one language he can have for his Alevels. But that won't count when applying for Uni because he is French. Did I get that right ??

Yes Lumieres!!!

Now this is a BIG issue. I am happy to support dcs learning French but I want to know if they also need to learn another language at school before they start secondary.

And I'm pretty sure out local secondary only offers French, not German... How on earth are you going around that?

That's absolutely crazy as I don't know of any child raised as bilingual that learnt to read and write in that language wo tuition. And that is if they have learnt to speak fluently, which is not even obvious.

I think part of the problem in the UK, is that we don't value MFL highly and believe, erroneously, that being bi-lingual happens pretty much by osmosis for those DC who live with speakers of other languages.

People describe the swathes of young people boirn in the UK whose parents speak another language as bi-lingual when many of them are not remortely so. They just speak a smattering of domestic second language.

People also think that having an au pair or moving abroad for a year or so will imbue great lingusitic accomplishment on their DC who are 'like sponges'.

All that said, I do think one of the reasons why students choose GCSEs or A levels in their equal/second language is for an easy good grade. I've never heard of anyone doing it for a challenge or a burning desire nIYSWIM.

I suppose so, Bonsoir. I can never know, but I think my parents would have aimed for that, and I was always pretty good at languages (good memory, and also loved gossiping so exchanges and knowing native speakers worked really well for me!).

Actually I probably still wouldn't want to do if for A-level though (unless I'd imminently need a higher level) as I'd feel I could work on it at home if I wanted, unlike say Biology, which I'd need to be taught.

Lumieres, they don't have to do an MFL at A-level though, so he could do it for GCSE (if he had/wanted to) and then not carry with it.

That's absolutely crazy as I don't know of any child raised as bilingual that learnt to read and write in that language wo tuition. And that is if they have learnt to speak fluently, which is not even obvious.

I completely agree!

I've never heard of anyone doing it for a challenge or a burning desire IYSWIM.

Sadly, I don't think A-level MFL syllabi are intellectually demanding, even for monolingual Brits!

I think you have put your finger on something, TheWordFactory. I think English people often think that bilingualism is easy to achieve in families exposed to two languages and therefore requires little work (by DC) or input (by parents and teachers). So they imagine they need to do little. And then, confronted by DC aged 9 or 10 who really are plurilingual in the sense of being mother-tongue standard across the board in two or three languages, they realize that there is more involved and feel defensive about their previous beliefs.

I think there's some truth in that Bonsoir which makes it even more of an easy option for a bi-lingual student.

And universities know that!

To be honest, I'd recommend a bi-lingual student keep up their language(s) outside the A level arena, or do it as an extra one.

A little unfair though, I agree. For example my DC are very proficient in a second language, because I've taught them it since babies. Of course they find it a piece of cake at GCSE...but they will still get credit for it.

I don't think here in the UK they do feel defensive Bonsoir! I don't think most mono lingual people are remotely interested or impressed!

They think it's easy and a perfectly nice, if useless, thing to do .

I was thinking about some of the Anglos I meet here. They are imbued with beliefs about bilingualism and then fail to deliver as parents/teachers and feel defensive! And are then not very nice (=prejudiced) to those who did the hard work early on because they knew it was necessary!

Where I grew up (another country) everyone spoke zillions of languages and there were never ending opportunities to learn new ones so no-one could avoid knowing there was work involved, IYSWIM.

I think people who have tried bi-lingualism and failed to keep it up, get what's involved.

Others don't know or care.

People often describe my DC as bi-lingual! Which is crap. They're not even fluent. They are just highly proficient. They think they've got to thelevel they have by me singing and chatting to them as babies ...

I think that some parents/teachers (who are usually parents) who have failed to keep it up feel defensive when they meet parents who have managed. Or maybe envious that some parents had the resources (skill and/or time and/or money) to see it through?

I don't know, I wish that it were easier to have open conversations; I know so many families whose DC are ace at three languages - truly trilingual - learning a fourth and others whose DC speak one and struggle with their other family language. And it's not down to DC's ability - it's about the learning environment around them.

I can't speak for France, but here in the UK there is a great dislike of any skill or opportunity that a parent can pass on to their child.

It is seen as unfair and somehow considered not to count.

Be that a language skill, or a sporting skill, or an opportunity that aparent can give their DC, it is all considered somehow valueless if all DC can't or don't have access to it.

The very best thing to do, is not act the victim. Accept that your DC is very lucky to have said skill/opportunity and smile and nod...

It's very true that in France passing on a skill from parent to child is frowned upon (officially), hence the overriding importance of maths (largely a classroom learned skill) as an evaluation technique.

However, in schools that charge parents handsomely for English or German or whatever native speaker classes, it is hard to accept the prejudice!

And for lumieres if your DC wanted to get from quite good to really good at grammar and writing (say with one parent being French for example and living in England), they would benefit from doing it at A level and it would be work. Also to do a uni course with a year in France they would have to have at least AS French.

My sil (one French parent) speaks fluent French, but has never learned to write it. She is also an example of a parent who has failed to pass on bilingualism to her children - much harder than it looks when the dominant language in the family (and the external environment) is English. Her dcs have French passports and were they to get French GCSE let alone A level it would be some achievement. Needless to say my own children's bilingualism can sometimes be a bit of a sore point. Not sure that adds anything to the debate, but just thought I'd throw it in there.

The wave
Yes I agree and that's one if the reason why I want them to do that. It would force them to learn to read and write correctly.
However from what I understand now it also means it can only be as an add on as it won't count for Zuni selection, which can be an issue if, for example, they want to go diwn the science route.
And I don't believe for one second that an additional language wouldn't be an advantage for them at a later date (I am a very classic example if that)

I can see the thread has moved on a bit, however my understanding of this Op is that by putting native speaker on university application! you/doc are indicating that you are fluent, if your doc is not fluent in French and you know the implications, why bother putting it there? I am assuming your doc dual nationality I.e British and French? Can your dc not just put British on the UCAS form, for this is where the problem lies.

Saying that, there is definitely a culture in Britain of not celebrating any achievement that's not within the grasp of every one, you very often hear 'even playing field trotted out', or it's not fair etc, so although I haven't experienced this particular type of prejudice ( I am bilingual) I don't doubly it exists.

And just to digress, ds who is quite small statured compared to his peers (4ft 11), did the best high jump on sports day at his school, as I cheered and couldn't quite believe how close he was to breaking the current record, another mum whose son was also competing and about 5ft 6 piped "Well it's easy for him as he's small!" I kid you not.

Don't know why there is "!" At the end of university application. Sorry for the typos.

I agree with Bonsoir.

My dc are bilingual (in English and Scottish Gaelic) via their schooling. Dd1 is also getting close to fluency in Spanish (my Spanish is close to fluent).

We've had endless comments, mainly from family, about how we're "disadvantaging" them (though their English at S2, P7 and P6 is above national levels and they speak another language!). Others have said its "unfair" that my dc get to go to bilingual school - all they had to do was, like we did, apply!

There are plenty people we've met who run down the benefits of bilingualism, who have suggested we're "cheating" somehow, who feel a need to comment.

I'm so thankful for my welsh-speaking sil, she and my brother are bringing up their son Welsh/English bilingual and so we have allies!!

Interestingly, when my DC were small, other parents either smiled disinterestedly in my teaching them a second language, or accused me of being pushy.

Now, we're at GCSE, it's apparently not fair that my DC are finding that one so easy.

Weegiemum we'll it's called 'Envy' another word hated on MN. They see your doc having advantages that theirs may not have in future, although they know the route to it they just cannot be bothered to put in the effort, but they like and covet the results!