Summary: | The purpose of this report is to describe some diffeÂrent definitions of the concept bilingualism used in earlier research. Thereby special attention has been paid to if and how the concept degree was considered and established and how the bilingual persons were sampled and classified. This purpose has been put forward as implications for research in the Northern Sweden (Tornedalen) may possibly be gained. In the literature studied bilingualism has been defined differently with regard to the objects of each exaÂmination. Generalizations to other domains has, howÂever, in some examinations been made although put up definitions have not been considered. The results show that classifying and sampling of bilingual subÂjects are often closely connected. In a few examinaÂtions degree of bilingualism is considered. Methods used in earlier research are sampling and classiÂfying which in this report are headed 1) external criteria 2) estimation 3) observation 4) questionÂnaires 5) interviews 6) tests 7) other methods. Where the above methods are to be applied for reÂsearch in the Northern Sweden following conditions must be considered: Finnish is in Tornedalen almost exclusively an oral language, the attitudes to the languages vary, affects of estimation may probably have an influence on the results,and finally that the use of speed-tests is debatable. digitalisering@umu.se
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