I am bilingual
Recientemente tuve una pequeña discusión con una persona que dice ser bilingue. Esta persona, como muchas en este país (USA), habla, lee y escribe relativamente bien inglés. Sin embargo habla "Spanglish", no español, lee y escribe muy mal el español. Es una persona nacida y criada aquí y el poco español que habla lo aprendió de sus padres, de origen mejicano.
Para mi, una persona bilingue (inglés-español), es una persona que habla, lee y escribe bien los dos idiomas, punto.
Me gustaría conocer su opinión. Gracias
Recently I had a little discussion with someone that says she is bilingual. This person, like many in this country (USA), speaks, read and write relatively well English. However, she speaks Spanglish, not Spanish and read and write very badly her Spanish. She was born and raised here in America and the poor Spanish she speaks she learned it from her parents, originally from Mexico.
In my opinion, a bilingual person (English-Spanish), is a person that speaks, reads and writes well in both languages, period.
I would like to know your opinion. Thank you.
24 Answers
Spanglish is neither English nor Spanish, so that will make the person MONOlingual 
Now some serious consideration: I think more like RicardoP: a bilingual person is someone who does not make any difference when using one language or the other, like so many Canadians do in Montreal. Or Italians speaking dialect and the official language. Or the Swiss. Or any other person who is born and raised in a bilingual community.
However, I ´m not sure USA is a bilingual country. It´s a heavily Spanish influenced country due to a growing Spanish-speaking community but far from a bilingual country. So, I think very few people may be considered bilingual in those conditions.
Anyway, if you don´t feel bilingual is a good adjective for your friend, you can say s/he´s not a pure bilingual, so you will add a clear distinction between someone fluent on a second language and someone who has developed both languages from the cradle.
I speak some good Italian too (although it´s a bit rusty) but I do not consider myself trilingual.
The subject is controversial and has been around for decades. Check this article on multilingualism.
And what about polyglots? Are there pure polyglots and amateur polyglots?
Check these people. They are amazing!
· João Guimarães Rosa - one of the most famous Brazilian writers, spoke more than twelve languages fluently, read eighteen.
· James Joyce - famous Irish writer, spoke thirteen languages.
· Anthony Burgess - British writer, knew thirteen languages, fluent in eight.
Wow, who would've have thought defining bilingual would be so difficult. In the Phillipines Mix-Mix or Hulo-Hulo is a very accepted pattern of speech. In one sentence, there may be words or phrases from 3 or more languages. In general, the speaker will use the whichever language expresses the word or phrase most succinctly and efficiently.
One needs to be proficient in all the languages to follow the conversation but based on some of the definitions here, that person wouldn't be considered bilingual because they rarely speak purely in one language.
Pienso que es importante ver la diferencia entre ser bilingüe fuera del trabajo y ser bilingüe en el lugar de trabajo. Si puedes decir lo que quieres y entender todo lo que eschuchas en dos lenguas, pienso que eres fluido. Pero si no puedes ni leer ni escribir en la segunda lengua, pienso que estarías mintiendo si esribieras "Soy bilingüe" en tu resumen. Para mí, ser bilingüe completamente (en el contexto del trabajo como dijo lachelvi) incluye poder leer y escribir bien.
In my opinion, a bilingual person (English-Spanish), is a person that speaks, reads and writes well both languages, period.
Whilst I would agree that the above is essential, you cannot be considered completely biligual until you can sit in front of a television, a radio or a cinema screen and completely understand what is being said. Only then, in my opinion, can you be considered truly bilingual.
Estoy de acuerdo con DR1960 (por la mayor parte). Yo no diría que soy bilingue en absoluto, a pese de estar a un nivel avanzado. Sin embargo, creo que hay personas que usan la lengua diariamente, por ejemplo en el trabajo o en la casa, que tal vez saben menos palabras, pero pueden usarlas con soltura. Es una suerte de fluidez práctica.
I agree with DR1960 (mostly). I would not at all say that I am bilingual, even though I´m at an "advanced" level. Nevertheless, I think that there are some people who use the language daily, for example at work or at home, who perhaps know fewer words but use them with ease. It´s a sort of practical fluency.
So by the way, how do you say "fluent"? As in "we would call them fluent in their native language"?
Muchas gracias a todos por su participación. Lamentablemente no puedo escoger una respuesta como acertada.
En conclusión, una persona bilingue (de acuerdo con académicos y entendidos), es una persona que se puede comunicar sin problemas en dos idiomas. Una persona que habla, lee y escribe bien dos idiomas es considerado "biliterate" (inserto comentario de Shrek, no sé francamente cómo se diga en español).
Cambio y fuera.
In my opinion, a bilingual person (English-Spanish), is a person that speaks, read and write well both languages, period.
I agree with your definition of "bilingual". There are a lot of "advanced" speakers who are not quite at a level of fluency that would have them considered bilingual.
Side note: can I offer a couple of corrections to your English? Your post should read "...a person that speaks, readS and writeS well IN both languages, period."
searching for information about bilingual I found this book about bilingual education for parents and teachers. Very interesting. It is a free book in spanish. Guía para padres y maestros de niños bilingües
Oops. Double post.
