Bilingualism, the ability to use two languages proficiently, has become increasingly common in the US. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, about 67.3 million (or 20.6%) people in the US can speak two or more languages. As migration occurs, cultures multiply, and languages spread, bilingualism is on an all-time rise. 

Language goes beyond communication—it’s an identity and can provide amazing social and economic opportunities. 

I have researched six different bilingual types which many bilinguals can fall into. 

Simultaneous Bilingualism vs Sequential Bilingualism: According to Tabors (1997) simultaneous bilingualism happens when a child is exposed to two different languages at an early stage. As they grow older they get native-like proficiency in both languages. On the other hand, sequential bilingualism happens when a child has first learned a language but then learns a second one later on in life or maybe directly after the first one.

Balanced Bilingualism vs Dominant Bilingualism: According to ReasearchGate.com balanced bilingualism is when a person has an equal balance of proficiency in both languages. Whereas in dominant bilingualism a person is stronger in one of their languages than the other (although they are still considered proficient in both).

Additive Bilingualism vs Subtractive Bilingualism: According to bilingualspeechie.com additive bilingualism means to learn a second language without that second language interrupting the first language. Subtractive bilingualism means when you learn a second language it messes with your brain’s retention of your first language.

I grew up in a Brazilian household and community where I did not have much practice with English, not until kindergarten at least. This put me in sequential bilingualism, learning English after Portuguese. Sadly, I started to lose proficiency in Portuguese as I learned and used English more often (subtractive bilingualism), although after immersing myself into my culture once more by traveling and making more Brazillian relationships, I still consider myself to be more dominant in English than Portuguese. An interviewee, and an old friend of mine, for this article can also relate to my experience. 

Esther Coelho (the Vice President of the class of 2025) says, “Portuguese was technically my first language mixed with English because both my parents immigrated to this country when they were early adults. They didn’t speak English very well. So I started learning English in head start and advanced quickly… but in English, I’m more confident just because I’m better at it, I’d say.”

It’s a funny thing, bilingualism. I know so much in English about history, sciences, and politics, but the moment I sit at an American church it doesn’t feel the same to me. 

To me, English and Portuguese convey different emotions and feelings. This can lead to times when being bilingual is challenging. 

Many times I feel misunderstood and lost. I can’t express everything I feel and believe strictly in English or Portuguese, I always find myself mixing up the languages into a messy knot of arguments, conversations, and explanations. 

Coelho expresses her struggles, “I always find myself speaking both languages mixed together, like I’ll start my sentence in English but end it in Portuguese ALL THE TIME.”

Jazzynett Rosario, another interviewee, a close friend of mine who I consider an older sister relates to the mess of mixing languages in her head. She’s a Puerto Rican woman who works as a Customer Care Representative. Her main languages are Spanish and English but she was adopted into the Brazillian community which allowed her to learn Portuguese phonetically. She states, “It’s like a whirlwind in my head. At times you can think in one language but can be speaking in another.”

Many times I find myself having different personalities in the languages I speak. I find myself to be more “me” with Portuguese (possibly because of the cultural aspects as well). I realize I am louder, more outgoing, happier, and more loving when speaking in Portuguese. While speaking English I am more closed off, still the extroverted, positive, and loud person I am, but with limitations. 

Although I find myself able to get angry in Portuguese, when in English I feel restricted. I use English in a school setting mostly and the occasional outings to the grocery store or even the mall. This causes me to have an unhealthy relationship with becoming angry or sad in both languages. My dominance in English allows me to have plentiful vocab to express feelings of anger than I do with my vocab in Portuguese. Unfortunately, in the settings I speak English in, I have my “happy mask” on.

I believe we can all agree that when we are out doing our jobs or learning, we aren’t the relaxed selves that we can be in our homes or around our family and close relationships. We have a “happy mask” on. We pretend to be doing alright leaving home problems in the back of our minds and focusing on our professional environment. Similarly, the lack of opportunity to healthily express my negative emotions in English can harm me in Portuguese. Overall it deeply affects my relationships. 

I have concluded that no one will ever fully understand and know me completely because of this unique side to my life. I realized that my American friends are missing out on a whole other part of me, even when I know most aspects of their lives. Sadly, they don’t see the whole other part of me that, in my opinion, is so much more fun to be around. My Brazillian friends will probably never realize just how capable I am in English. My parents won’t ever completely understand how I feel in certain situations because I can’t properly communicate with them. Many times I feel like an outcast, someone who has an unhealthy relationship with her proper emotions because others can’t understand me well. 

This is why I am blessed to have friends who share the same struggles and experiences. Rosario, being one of them, relates saying, “Even though you’re able to immerse yourself into various settings, it can cast you out as well. Some folks may not consider you fully as a part of the community. It may feel like you always have a shoe out the door. They sometimes may think of you as a prestige person because of your privilege through your ability to speak many languages. You can build barriers while trying to break down others. At times you will feel out of place because you are multicultural, too American for the Latin community too Latin for the American community.”

Gaby Estrada, a former student of LHS who graduated in May of 2022, says, “When you’re in a group and speak in a language others don’t understand, people tend to assume you do it to talk bad about them… it creates the idea that everyone does it to talk trash.”

However, there are so many advantages to speaking a second language. It shows great mental strength, and social abilities, and enhances your view of the world. 

No doubt speaking a second language will help me in the future with jobs. Even now it’s working its effects in the new language I’m currently learning, French. 

Estrada, who also took French and learned it during her high school career, claims “Spanish and French connected more for me than English and French. Whatever I didn’t understand in French, I tried making sense of it in Spanish first and then in French. Interestingly enough, it improved my learning skills.”

I relate to her experience, especially when speaking French. My pronunciation is more advanced, my listening skills improve at a much faster rate, and spelling (especially the accents) is easier since I’m used to seeing them in Portuguese. 

In Rosario’s experience, she states, “When you are traveling the world it can open your senses to the people, cultures, and foods in different forms than a person who may only be able to speak one language. This world is about the human experience, so naturally, the more knowledge and resources you have at your will the more you can swim and experience an array of adventures.”

Madame Cook, an interviewee, and the French teacher at LHS believes, “Becoming bilingual improves one’s overall cognitive abilities, as it requires a lot of healthy work for the brain. It also helps you to see your first language in a new way, and broadens your perspective of other cultures.”

I can use Portuguese and English to help others in translation, many times I find people who don’t speak English and need directions, or occasionally I will translate to the Americans who visit me at church. It’s a great feeling to know you’ve helped people while also learning and improving yourself. Not to mention the benefits of being put into higher positions in life.

Estrada attests, “There are days where I have to translate for this lady at church who only speaks English. If you think about it, the vocabulary necessary to translate the message the pastor gives is different from the basic English… this only enhances my ability to switch between basic vocabulary to more complex vocabulary.”

Madame Cook has her own reasons why speaking two languages can be beneficial, “When I was working for the summer at Disney World in Florida, I got to work at a more desirable location sometimes, the Ticket and Transportation Center (as opposed to just stamping tickets at the Magic Kingdom front gate), since I could communicate with tourists in another language to direct them where they needed to go.”

Overall, being bilingual has brought many challenges to my life, but it only made me stronger. I am elated to have grown up with such amazing opportunities. Without it, my life experience would be significantly different. The people I consider my closest friends and family would change, I probably would never have come to Ludlow Public Schools, searching for a place where teachers could help me with my struggles in academics, I probably wouldn’t be learning French either (not as well at least). This skill I have acquired and practiced over the years has benefited me immensely allowing me to be good at problem-solving, cognitive skills, memory, social skills, and so much more! 

As we move towards an increasingly interconnected world, the ability to understand more languages becomes essential, making bilingualism not only an interesting personal asset but a societal imperative.