Are bilingualism and/or biculturalism good for a person’s positive well being? A growing number of studies have shown different positive outcomes of being exposed to two cultures or speaking two languages respectively, but the benefits of being both bilingual and bicultural have rarely been investigated theoretically or empirically. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main beneficial outcomes of bilingualism and biculturalism, and to integrate these benefits into a new conceptual framework: Positive Bilingualism and Biculturalism GEAR model. The GEAR model suggests that the beneficial outcomes of bilingualism and biculturalism can be systematically classified into four positive dimensions (psychological Growth; cognitive Exploration; linguistic Awareness; and social Reinforcement), in which there are dynamic interactions among these four dimensions. The hypothetical GEAR model provides an intricate theoretical approach to understand the potential benefits to an individual of experiencing more than one language and one culture in their life. The proposed model in this research offers a systematic framework for conducting future research to examine whether bilingualism and biculturalism accrue benefits to the individual.
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机译：双语和/或双文化主义对一个人的积极健康有益吗？越来越多的研究表明，分别接触两种文化或说两种语言会产生不同的积极结果，但是很少会从理论或经验上探讨双语和双文化的好处。本文的目的是总结双语和双文化主义的主要收益，并将这些收益整合到新的概念框架中：积极双语和双文化GEAR模型。 GEAR模型表明，双语和双文化主义的有益结果可以系统地分为四个积极方面（心理 G 成长；认知 E 迁移；语言 A R 强化），在这四个维度之间存在动态的相互作用。假设的GEAR模型提供了一种复杂的理论方法，以了解个人在生活中经历多种语言和一种文化可能带来的好处。本研究中提出的模型为进行未来的研究提供了系统的框架，以检查双语和双文化主义是否对个人有利。
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