It's a crazy word and one which I have come across in the last month or so. Bidialectalism means that one uses and understands two dialects within the same language, the argument here is whether or not American English and English are in fact the same language.
From my experience these two 'languages' are very different. It's not only in the words used but the inflection of pronunciation and even the syntax seems to follow a different pattern. I'm jabbering on about this because over the last five years or so I have become bidialectal and it seems that Kasia is already able to change the words she uses depending on the situation. For example, in English we use the word 'Nappy' to describe the material positioned to catch the pee and/or poo. In American English the word used is 'Diaper'. Now this seems like a relatively simple distinction to us adults but I will tell you now that English people (because of American media) have a much better understanding of American words than the Americans do of English words or turns of phrase. However my point is that Kasia knows when to used these two completely different words. At her Mothers Day Out (play school) group on a Friday morning she uses the word 'Diaper' to ask for it to be changed but when she comes home, she instantly changes and uses the word 'Nappy'....pretty good for a two year old I think.
It's almost common knowledge that children pick up second languages very quickly compared to adults or even teenagers but I'm not sure we realise how well kids can distinguish between dialects as well. The nappy example is one of many that Kasia can now use, she even changes nursery rhymes whilst speaking to her Grandparents on Skype. She seems to understand that in order to be understood she has to use a code that her audience will be able to understand.
A mere sideline to this idea of English/American language is English/American relations. I'm not sure why it is so apparent but the divide is a really interesting one. I liken it to somebody having a younger brother. The older sibling (England) is a little envious of the younger (America) because the younger one seems to have all the best stuff! Every time I read the comments on English news sites about events here in the US the public views are always things like: 'Typical arrogant Americans' or 'Well, thats to be expected of those fat yanks', a constant stream of petty jibes directed at the American culture. Now I am proud to be English and I will definitely raise Kasia to be aware of her inherited culture but if I had to pick somewhere for us to live I would choose the US any day! It has problems, it has issues but ultimately there is more opportunity here.
Writing this blog sometimes makes me feel like a prize prat, but it definitely helps me categorize and identify with the people and the things around me. I hope that everyone is able to take the time to analyze their own life story and make the next chapter one that they themselves would be interested to read.
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