The Verdict
The controversy of whether bilingualism is a beneficial trait to acquire or simply a cognitive hindrance is one that could never be proven. There are some studies that adhere to bilingualism's positive roles in both children and adults as well as there are those that oppose. In my personal experience I have been subject to both instances. Communication with family as well as society has been directly affected by my knowledge of English and Spanish. However, both have their positives and negatives. It is because that I am bilingual that I sometimes interchange words and end up speaking 'Spanglish'. This aspect of bilingualism is typical in Spanish-English speaking individuals yet not so prominent in those from Asian and European decent. This is due to the relativity between the languages in terms of their grammar as well as alphabet in which Spanish has more cognates than either. It is because of this fact that any conclusions denouncing bilingualism can only be true for certain groups of individuals and not all bilinguals. The demographic of people is essential in determining the effects of knowing more than one language in regards to society, school, and in families.