An essay portraying a basic understanding of bilingualism in children, including definitions, adavantages and disadvantages, and critical ages in which learning is best.

Bilingualism Log Someone who is bilingual has the ability to use two languages, especially with equal fluency. According to the 1990 United States Census, about 31.8 million people speak a language other than English in their home. Numerous researchers agree that children exposed to a second language at an early age will naturally put both languages to use. Children will often go through periods of blending the two languages. This occurs because children may find it difficult …

…introduced before the preschool years. Those who are capable of speaking a second language are often able to easier grasp concepts of his or her native language, for many languages have the same root language. For example, Spanish, French, Italian, and English are all 'Romantic Languages' with roots in Latin. That is a reason that Latin is still taught in highschools and universities across the country: so that we may better understand our own language.