semilingualism
Semilingualism is a term used in past research literature to describe bilingual students who appear not to have mastered either of their languages. The term has fallen into disrepute, principally because of its deficit connotations and because it is often inappropriate to compare monolingual and bilingual language skills. The limits of the term ‘semilingualism’ are discussed fully in the inquiry What if students aren’t strong in either language?
