What is the impact of bilingualism on foreign language acquisition?

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,3, University of Cologne (Philosophische Fakultät), language: English, abstract: The aim of this paper is to examine how bilingualism, including the use of a minority language at home and the method of bilingual acquisition, affects foreign language acquisition. Specifically, two studies are compared that examine the effects of bilingualism on foreign language acquisition. The first study examines the effects of speaking a minority language at home on foreign language acquisition, while the second study examines whether bilingualism can be a resource for foreign language acquisition among language minority students. By comparing these two studies, this paper intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of bilingualism on foreign language learning and to identify potential areas for future research. The importance of understanding the relationship between bilingualism and foreign language acquisition cannot be valued highly enough, especially considering the growing number of bilingual and multilingual people worldwide. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the impact of bilingualism on foreign language acquisition and to provide valuable insights for educators, policy makers and researchers. Through an examination of the literature available on the topic, this article will highlight the various factors that contribute to the relationship between bilingualism and foreign language acquisition and provide practical recommendations for language educators seeking to optimise language learning outcomes.