... a multi-faceted phenomenon. Whether we consider it as a societal or an individual level, one has to accept that there can be no clear cut-off points. How bilingualism is defined will greatly affect the results of a study. A complete description of the "bilingual" sample is critical to an adequate interpretation of any research on bilingualism. For example, Peal and Lambert's (1962, cited in Diaz, 1983) distinction between bilinguals and pseudo-bilinguals made an extremely significant methodological contribution to the field. Pseudo-bilinguals know one language much better than the other, and do not use his or her second language in communication. The true bilingual would hold two languages at an early age and has the facility to communicate in both languages (Diaz, 1983). Their distinction forced investigators to select their bilingual samples with greater care and to measure the sample's actual knowledge of the two languages. Peal and Lamberts study signaled ...

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