‘As many languages you know, as many times you are a human being’: the interplay between early bilingualism and social experiences of bilingual neurotypical adults

Within our complex global socio-political context and interconnectedsociety, around half of the world’s population knows more than onelanguage, as a result of and leading to diverse lived experiences,some positive (e.g. multicultural upbringing), some adverse (e.g.xenophobia and cultural minority exclusion). In this context, thisstudy aims to describe how early bilinguals living in a country witha monolingual political framework reflect on bilingualism’sinfluence on their social experiences and social awareness. 49 UK-based early bilingual neurotypical adults completed a cross-sectional online survey including open-ended questions. Thethematic analysis of their free-text responses showed respondentsregarded bilingualism as extremely valuable to their socialexperiences, facilitating their ability to connect with others andnavigate life with decreased prejudice. This first study with thispopulation illustrates the invaluable nature of bilingualism as aresource, particularly considering the social vulnerability ofbilinguals in many environments.