Ensayo definition ya hecho

Although bilingualism and multilingualism share some features in common, they present remarkable differences in terms of linguistic competences. Bilingualism has been understood as the ability to master at least two languages for different purposes in different contexts; similarly, multilingualism proposes and understands a certain degree of mastery of more than one language in at least two out of the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Ocassionally, both, bilingualism and multilingualism, are commonly and unaccurately understood as the complete mastery of several languages in either receptive skills or productive skills; nevertheless, both asume a more balanced, not definitive, mastery of at least two languages. Bilingualism as well as mulitilingualism share a better development in terms of proficiency when the context in which they occur is set in conditions of multiple languages co-existing altogether rather than a monolingual one; that is, a person who is exposed to an environment in which more than one language is used may experience a faster and better learning process in terms of language usage, in comparison to somebody who appears to be in a monolingual context. All in all, bilingualism just as multilingualism are similar in terms of contextual acquistion features and learning outcome or result characteristics.

Conversely, bilingualism which has been taken by common or popular knowledge as the “knack” to speak two languages; differs greatly from multilingualism if the dimension to be emphasised is the one appealing to linguistic development. Multilingualism enhances some linguistic skills referred as to metalinguistic skills which happen to be mentioned as those abilities which allow a person to reflect or analyse upon the language itslef. By contrast of bilingualism which does not provide, not in a huge range, such analytical abilities upon the language. Multilingualism supports the individual in terms of social performance on a greater scale since it offers a possibility of intereaction in more than one social function; that is, it enables the subject to perform communicatively in several and diversifed ways depending on the interlocutor and a given circumstance. Unlike bilingualism which, even providing certain possibilities, does not afford the same range of social and individual opportunities because of the only presence of two languages operating in the brain. Giving a last word, bilingualism and multilingualism share some natural characteristics as well as they differ in other dimensions; nevertheless, in the end, either one or the other will provide unique and distinguishing features to an individual.

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