The four pillars of academics, leadership, physical education and
bilingualism have always been a source of pride for the Canadian Military Colleges.
The relative harmony and institutional accommodation of official language minorities in New Brunswick belie a problematic situation over the five decades since official
bilingualism was adopted.
Recent research by staff at Bangor University has shown a complicated relationship between
bilingualism and a range of factors such as age and language proficiency, and that
bilingualism could offer advantages in a range of areas, particularly in terms of cognitive performance in old age.
Baker covers the highlights of a series of common problems and questions regarding
bilingualism.
In the last two decades or so,
bilingualism has become a point of interest for cognitive sciences such as psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics.
Bilingualism fosters analogical reasoning and problem solving, concept formation and deeper processing.
There is copious evidence of the benefits to children of
bilingualism (Wong-Fillmore, 2000; Piller, 2001; Baker, 2011).
Most of the research conducted on
bilingualism relies heavily on studies about spoken languages.
Bilingualism is thought to improve cognition and delay dementia in older adults.
The action of shifting between languages according to the changing context acts as mental exercise," Dr Bak said, adding that the advantages of
bilingualism include higher attention than that of monolinguals.
Pearson established the B and B Commission in 1963 to "inquire into and report upon the existing state of
bilingualism and biculturalism in Canada and to recommend what steps should be taken to develop the Canadian Confederation on the basis of an equal partnership between the two founding races, taking into account the contribution made by the other ethnic groups to the cultural enrichment of Canada and the measures that should be taken to safeguard that contribution" (Haque 2012, 5).
Bilingualism in Europe is even more prevalent with approximately 56% of the population across all European Union countries being bilingual (European Commission, 2006).
