Bilingualism and Second Language Learning: Seven Tensions that Define the Research

The roots of the study of bilingualism and second language acquisition can be traced to activities in multiple disciplines as well as to catalytic forces from the practice of language education. The primary disciplines involved are linguistics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology, with additional contributions from biology. The catalytic forces of practice might be differentiated into foreign language education (e.g., the teaching of German in the United States), second language education (e.g., the teaching of English as a second language to immigrants to the United States, or in areas of the world where English serves important societal functions such as commerce), and bilingual education (the use of two languages as a medium of instruction).