investigation articles- bilingle households

http://www.babycenter.com/0_raising-a-bilingual-child-the-top-five-myths_10340869.bc

This article disproves statements, for example, 'Growing up with more than one language confuses children.' It goes on to explain why it disagrees with the statements and backs it up with evidence and explanation. 
It disproves: 

Growing up with more than one language confuses children.

Raising a child to be bilingual leads to speech delays.

Bilingual children end up mixing the two languages.

 It's too late to raise your child bilingual.

Children are like sponges, and they'll become bilingual without effort and in no time.

http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids1.htm

This article appears to be giving advice to parents wanting to teach their children two or more languages. Giving tips such as: Family agreement, Enthusiastic...yet realistic, The practical plan, Get together, Be patient. 

http://en.people.cn/102774/8399031.html

This article states the top 10 hardest languages to learn. 

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/fcp/docs/benefits-of-being-bilingual.pdf

This gives the advantages of being bilingual 

 http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0000/0804/FAQsonbilingualism.pdf

This article contains frequently asked questions about bilingualism 

Politeness-Brown & Levinson

Politeness

Brown & Levinson

People use politeness as a way of "known deception", in order to help preserve each other's face needs (avoid face threatening acts)

Example:

Will you have anything to eat?    (less polite)

Won't you have something to eat?    (more polite)

Will (negative polarity) -> Won't (positive polarity)  
    Why is this more polite?

Will sounds imminent, I'll do it if I have to (negative face)
Won't sounds like it's up to you, not a problem for me to get you food (positive face)
 

Anything (negative polarity) -> Something (positive polarity)
    Why is this more polite?

Anything sounds vague, forces you to name what you would like to eat (direct)
Something requires only 'yes' or 'no' answer- suggests that I will give you a list of things I am willing to make for you (indirect)

Politeness- something the speaker does to mitigate (make less severe) potential face-threatening acts  of the receiver

Politeness involves our efforts to save face of one another (both of us).

1. I want some beer. (bald on record:  direct)
2. Is it OK for me to have a beer?  (positive politeness:  somewhat direct)
3. I hope it's not too forward, but would it be possible for me to have a beer?  (negative politeness:  somewhat indirect)
4. It's so hot. It makes you really thirsty.  (off record:  indirect)

Brown and Levinson sum up human politeness behavior in four strategies, which correspond to these examples: bald on record, negative politeness, positive politeness, and off-record-indirect strategy.

1. The bald on-record strategy does nothing to minimize threats to the hearer's “face”
2. The positive politeness strategy shows you recognize that your hearer has a desire to be respected. It also confirms that the relationship is friendly and expresses group reciprocity.
3. The negative politeness strategy also recognizes the hearer's face. But it also recognizes that you are in some way imposing on them. Some other examples would be to say, “I don't want to bother you but...” or “I was wondering if...”
4. Off-record indirect strategies take some of the pressure off of you. You are trying to avoid the direct FTA of asking for a beer. Instead you would rather it be offered to you once your hearer sees that you want one.  (favored by many Eastern cultures more)

Grice's Maxims (summery)

Grice's Maxims( cooperative principle)

Grice says that when we communicate we assume, without realising it, that we, and the people we are talking to, will be "conversationally cooperative". This means we will cooperate to achieve mutual conversational ends. This conversational cooperation even works when we are not being cooperative socially. So, for example, we can be arguing with one another angrily and yet we will still cooperate quite a lot conversationally to achieve the argument. This conversational cooperation manifests itself, according to Grice, in a number of conversational MAXIMS, as he calls them, which we feel the need to follow. Here are the four maxims which Grice says we all try to stick to in conversation. 

The conversational maxims

Maxim of quantity (quantity of information)
  -Give the most helpful amount of information.

To not give too much information, not too little, but just right! 

Maxim of quality (quality of information)
  -Do not say what you believe to be false.

It may seem at first sight that it would be simpler for this maxim to be 'Tell the truth'. But it is often difficult to be sure about what is true, and so Grice formulates this maxim in a way that, although it looks more complicated, is actually easier to follow. Evidence of the strength of this maxim is that most people find it difficult to lie when asked a direct question, and we tend to believe what people tell us without thinking, especially if it is written down (presumably because writers normally have more time than speakers to consider carefully what they say).

Maxim of relation
  -Be relevant.

Note that if you join a conversation you can't just begin to talk about whatever you like. You have to connect what you want to say (make it relevant) to what is already being talked about. For example if everyone else is talking about their holidays and you want to talk about Spain, you'll need to connect the two topics together with a remark like 'I went on holiday to Spain last year . . .' Similarly, if, in an exam, you write an essay on a topic slightly different from the question asked you are likely to lose marks.

Maxim of manner

-Put what you say in the clearest, briefest, and most orderly manner.

Good evidence for this maxim is what you get penalised for when you write essays. If your are vague or ambiguous (i.e. not clear) you can lose marks; if you are over-wordy you can lose marks (readers don't like having to read extra words when they don't have to); if you do not present what you say in the most sensible order for your argument you can lose marks. And although you don't lose marks in conversation, you can lose friends if you do not abide by these maxims.