Resisting forced monolingualism

I found David Sher's article, It's stealing what should be theirs (September), very thought provoking.

The concept of forced monolingualism in particular, set me thinking about my own upbringing during the 1950s/60s. I was brought up in Wales in a bilingual community (Welsh/English), and I hasten to add there wasn't forced monolingualism, it was far more subtle. I was provided with well-intentioned advice by many people in the community that if I wanted to get on in life, I should forget the Welsh Language, and concentrate on developing my skills in using the English Language. I'm happy to say that I mostly ignored such advice, and focused on both languages.

Our children were also brought up in a bilingual home environment, and I was surprised how some people again questioned and/or suggested, that their development would be impaired because they would clearly find it very confusing. When it became clear that they were doing well at school despite their bilingual up bringing – the refrain was, 'of course you are lucky they are bright kids'. They have since grown up to be multilingual.

The point I'm making is that there appears to be received wisdom that more than one language must be confusing for a child, and it is a phenomenon observed more generally in some communities.

It is interesting to speculate why this might be observed in Wales. Is it because of the existence of bilingual communities? Or does it, as some claim, go back to 1535 and Henry VIII Wales Act that decreed that only English could be used in a Court of Law in Wales? It also decreed that no one who didn't use and exercise the English Language could be employed in any office within the Realm of England, Wales, or other of the King's Dominion. This law stood for four centuries, and it was not until 1993 that an Act of Parliament decreed that Welsh and English were to be treated on a basis of equality in Wales, and its courts of law.

Perhaps this provides another perspective on forced monolingualism, overt or otherwise. The benefits of bilingualism as reported in published studies continue to be denied by some within Wales. Is this because of a belief that a child is inevitably confused by being exposed to two or more languages? Or is it, in the case of the Welsh language, a learned inferiority complex? Today there are many Welsh-medium schools in Wales, schools that nurture bilingualism, and their educational achievements often exceed those of monolingual schools. This may of course be due to greater parental interest and attention given to their children's education, as indicated by choosing to send them to a bilingual school, rather than bilingualism per se. Additional learning needs (special needs) in Wales do not appear to be well resourced in the Welsh language. It may well be therefore that autistic children are provided with inadequate support, or provided with support in English only.

D. Arwyn Reynolds, Occupational Psychologist (Retired)
Bridgend