Linguists know that native language does not always equate to the language you are most proficient in, or the language you dream in, or the language in which you silently swear at the driver who just cut you off. Native language is for many not even one single language in the first place. 123RF Language researchers place great stock on the idea of a native speaker, but this emphasis may be misplaced, writes Andreea Calude. (File photo)Yet, the fact that native speakers are held in such high esteem has had the unintended consequence of excluding bilingual/multilingual speakers from certain strands of language research. Language Matters is a fortnightly column about language.

Source: Stuff July 11, 2021 17:01 UTC