Due to the needs of communication among groups that do not have a common

language (lingua franca), they started to mix their native language in order to

understand each other. They created a new language called pidgin and creole

languages. Even though pidgin and creole languages have sounds like a baby-

talk and amusing, they are real languages, because they are used for serious

purposes and in some cases have a distinctive linguistic structure (Holmes,

2001). In my opinion, communities where different languages are used and a

mix of languages between pidgins, creoles or lingua franca are usually talked.

Those people are considered bilingual even when they do not talk official

languages.

Pidgin and creole languages have been historically regarded as marginal

languages. Persons who spoke pidgin and creole languages were treated with

disdain, even contempt (Wardhaugh, 1998). These kinds of languages were

considered unimportant because they lack certain grammatical structures, such

as articles, copulas and inflections; despite this, they are effective for the

purposes of communication. Pidgins are languages that arise when speakers of

different languages come into contact and have a pressing need to

communicate. When a pidgin languages becomes the language of the tribes;

started to learn by the children and then when this happen the pidgin languages

change to creole language. In my opinion, when a creole language is frequently

used in multilingual communities, by different people, it becomes the lingua

franca between the groups that use it and when the groups adopt the creole

language, it becomes the formal language of the community and it is possible

that it was considered as lingua franca if more than one ethnic group use that

creole language.

According to Wardhaugh in 1998, he define lingua franca as “People who speak

different languages who are forced into contact with each other find some way

of communicating”. On the other hand when a group of people do not have a

common language, they create a new language in order to communicate

between each other. These languages are called pidgins and creole language.

1

I believe that probably many people around the world speak more than one

language or at least have the possibility to speak one. Although, each one

usually know more than one dialect and for some factors no one talks exactly

the same way at all times. Even more, those people who speak more than one

language are bilingual and they also have different dialects or way to speak in

each of one language they know.

Children bilingualism or infant bilingualism can be reached in two different ways,

simultaneous and sequential. Simultaneous bilingualism consists in exposing

the children in both languages. For example, one parent speaks one language

and the other speaks a different language, the children may learn booth

language at the same time (Baker, 2001). On the other hand, sequential

bilingualism refers to acquire the language after the children already learnt the

mother tongue. In this case, nursery and kindergarten education help children to

acquire the second language without formal instruction. Moreover children can

become bilingual with a natural way independently whether is simultaneous or

sequential, but in both cases is more effective that an adults. Romaine show as

six types of bilingualism and show us some strategies that can be considered in

order to became bilingual.

According to Romaine, there are six ways of acquiring bilingualism.

Type 1. One person - one language

Parents: Each parent has a different native language and each one has a

degree of competence in the language of the other.

Community: The language of one parent is the dominant language of the

community.

Strategy: Each parent speaks their own native language to the child form the

birth.

The studies:

Author Mother Father Community My proposal

2

language language language language

Ronjar (1913) German French French German

Leopold

(1939-1949)

English German German English

Taeschner

(1983)

German Italian Italian German

Due to each parent dominates the language of the other in some degree and in

the community talk the language of one parent. I consider that the language that

they should speak to the child is the opposite that is speaking in the community.

This is because the child can learn both languages in order to become bilingual.

It is the same case that happen in USA with the Mexican people, they talk

Spanish in their home, and the English will be acquire in the community

because they go to school and the child has to learn English too.

Type 2. Non-dominant home language

Parents: Parents have different native languages.

Community: The language of one parent is the dominant language of the

community.

Strategy: Both parents speak the non-dominant language to the child and the

child is fully exposed to the dominant language only when outside home.

The studies:

Author Mother

language

Father

language

Community

language

My proposal

language

Fantini (1985) Spanish English English Spanish

This type is exactly the same case that in type 1. But in this case it is less

probably that the child does not acquire accurately the language of his or her

parents due to the support of the community.

Type 3. Non-dominant home language without community support

3

Parents: Parents share the same native language.

Community: The dominant language is not of his parents.

Strategy: The parents speak their own language to the child.

The studies:

Author Mother

language

Father

language

Community

language

My proposal

language

Haugen

(1953)

Norwegian Norwegian English Norwegian

Oksaar

(1977)

Estonian Estonian Swedish/

German

Estonian

Ruke-

Dravina

(1967)

Latvian Latvian Swedish Latvian

Pavlovitch

(1920)

Servian Servian French Servian

I agree with the proposal because if they do not know other language; they

have to talk in their native language because the child is going to acquire the

language of the community at the school, for example.

Type 4. Double non-dominant home language without community support

Parents: Parents do not share the same native language.

Community: The dominant language is different from either of the parent’s

languages.

Strategy: The parents speak their own language to the child.

The studies:

Author Mother

language

Father

language

Community

language

My proposal

language

Elwrt (1959) English German Italian English/German

4

This case is more difficult. I agree with the proposal; however, I am not sure if it

is the correct way. Due to that they do not have another choice. I consider the

child is not going to acquire good proficiency on the parent’s languages

because he or she can be confused and can mix both languages.

Type 5. Non-native parents

Parents: Parents share the same native language.

Community: The dominant language is the same as that of the parents.

Strategy: One of the parents always addresses the child in a language which is

not his/her native language.

The studies:

Author Mother

language

Father

language

Community

language

My proposal

language

Saunders

(1982)

English English

(German)

English German

I am not good speaker and that is one of the reasons why I am study the LEI

program. I want to teach my soon of this way; however, if somebody wants to

try this, the person has to have a very good English level; it is difficult to teach a

different language that it is spoken in the community especially if just one of the

parents try to teach to the child and it is not his o her native language.

Type 6. Mixed languages

Parents: Parents are bilinguals.

Community: Sector of community may also be bilingual.

Strategy: Parents code-switch and mix languages.

The studies:

Author Mother

language

Father

language

Community

language

My

proposal

language

Tabouret- French/German French/German French/German French

5

Keller

(1962)

Ellul (1978) Maltese/English Maltese/

English

Maltese/English Maltese

Smith

(1935)

English English Chinese English

Burling

(1959)

English English Garo English

In this case my suggestion is that the parents choose one language for teaching

the child at home but this language should be the less speaking in the

community. This is due to the other language will be teach in the school or in

the church or any where the child goes. The child should identify with one

language as his or her mother tongue.

Bilingualism is considered a necessity around the world. Families want to reach

bilingualism for their kids or for their young people including adults. Adults and

children can become bilingual taking in consideration these routes: learning two

languages early at home, acquiring a second language in the street, learning

the other language in the neighborhood or taking formal language classes

(Baker, 2001). Independently which route is taken or which strategy is used,

both, children and adults can reach bilingualism later or early.

_________

In conclusion, adults and children can become bilingual taking the best choice.

Both routes permit reaching bilingualism but it is not an easy task, especially for

adults. A combination of strategies or ways for acquiring the language is always

helpful. But be carefully, acquiring a second language it must be a constant

effort that never finish. It is necessary to maintain it, in order to do not lose it.

_____________________

_____________________________________

6

Vernacular languages are used for thousands around the world. The term

vernacular has some definitions: Languages that are not standardized and

codified; languages that they do not have official status, languages that are

learnt as first languages in an ethnic group, language that is spoken by a non

dominant group, and languages that are used for everyday interaction. This

essay explains these last two definitions.

According to the UNESCO, vernacular languages are those which are used

widely by a group socially or politically dominated by another group with

different language. For instance in USA English is the first language spoken by

the dominant group and Spanish is considerate and referred as Chicano

vernacular language On the other hand, Spanish language in Central America

is not vernacular language because of is the official language and moreover is

the language spoken by the dominant group. However, Paraguay has Spanish

languages as the official language, most people speak Guarani therefore

Spanish is considerate as the vernacular language in that country.

Another consideration about vernacular languages is that are referred as the

languages for everyday interaction in specific context or domain. Some point

out of, it is learnt in home as the firs variety and it is widely used as language of

solidarity between people of the same ethnic group. For instance, “Hebrew was

a language for ritual and religion with no native speakers” (Holmes, 2001). Due

to Hebrew became the language of everyday communication, it was

considerate as a vernacular language. Taking into account this consideration,

any language that has native speaker it must be considerate as vernacular

language, including those which are standardized.

In conclusion, there is not a specific definition by the term vernacular and when

this word was coined many consideration did not take into account. In most of

books vernacular language are defined as that language that are not

standardized, used in a ethnic group and has no official status. In my personal

point of view the last definition is out of context due to that all languages around

the world would be considered vernacular language because they are used in

everyday communication.

7

REFERENCESHolmes, J. (2001). Introduction to sociolinguistics. Edinburg: Person.

UNESCO. (1953). The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

_____________________________

As a conclusion, I can say that there are different ways of expressing something

in the same language and we can talk and behavior differently according to the

circumstances, even if we use a codified or not codified language. Also, people

who speak only one language usually borrow words from other languages, and

use such words either consciously or unconsciously. It is clear that our

language variation depends about some factors such as context, relationship,

topic and other social factors such as sex, status, education including

background.

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