Difference between diglossia and bilingualism
Diglossia and bilingualism are both language phenomena, but they refer to different language situations.
Diglossia refers to a social and linguistic situation where there are two distinct varieties of a language, typically a high or formal variety and a low or informal variety. These varieties are used in different social contexts, with the high variety typically being used in formal or official situations like education, government, and media, while the low variety is used in everyday spoken language and informal contexts. Diglossia is often found in societies with a rich linguistic history and a strong socio-cultural divide.
Bilingualism, on the other hand, refers to the ability to speak and understand two languages fluently. Bilingual individuals have the capacity to use and comprehend both languages proficiently in various contexts. Bilingualism can occur in various ways - individuals may acquire two languages simultaneously from birth (simultaneous bilingualism), or they may learn a second language later in life (sequential bilingualism). Bilingual individuals may switch between the languages they know based on the context, situation, or the people they are interacting with.
In summary, diglossia refers to the coexistence of two distinct varieties of a single language, while bilingualism refers to individuals' ability to speak and understand two different languages.