Meaning & use
biliterate and bilingual
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Able to speak two languages and also to read and write in both of them.
Grammar: Used as an adjective phrase after a linking verb or before a noun: She is biliterate and bilingual; a biliterate and bilingual student.
Patterns
- be biliterate and bilingual
- biliterate and bilingual learners
Children who grow up in homes where two languages are used can become biliterate and bilingual if they get reading and writing support in both.
The school aims to send its students out biliterate and bilingual, not just able to chat in a second language.
She is biliterate and bilingual in Spanish and English, so she can read legal documents in either language.
Common combinations
- fully biliterate and bilingual
- After five years in the dual-language program, he was fully biliterate and bilingual.
- become biliterate and bilingual
- Students can become biliterate and bilingual when both languages are used across the curriculum.
- biliterate and bilingual education
- The district expanded its biliterate and bilingual education program to three more schools.
- raise children biliterate and bilingual
- Many families try to raise their children biliterate and bilingual by reading to them in both languages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bilingual
- Bilingual only says a person uses two languages; it does not necessarily mean they can read and write in both, so use the longer phrase when literacy in both is important.
- dual-language
- Dual-language describes a program or setting that uses two languages, not a person's skills, so it is not a direct replacement.
Opposites
Word family
- bilingualism noun
- The state or ability of using two languages.
- biliteracy noun
- The ability to read and write in two languages.
- bilingually adverb
- In two languages, or in a way that involves two languages.
Commonly confused: biliterate and bilingual or bilingual?
biliterate and bilingual vs bilingual
Bilingual means speaking two languages; biliterate and bilingual adds the ability to read and write in both. A person can be bilingual but not biliterate.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'biliterate and bilingual' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase describes a person who can speak and also read and write in two languages, as in option B. Option A describes a sign, which can be bilingual but not biliterate; option C is unrealistic and uses the phrase for a very short experience; option D confuses the phrase with 'illustrated'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “biliterate and bilingual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.