Volume_5_Issue_3_Digest

15 TPC Digest For more than 3 decades, we as a counseling profession have placed an emphasis on training counselors who can work effectively with culturally diverse clients. However, ethnic, racial and linguistic minorities continue to underutilize and prematurely terminate counseling services at higher rates than their racial, ethnic and linguistic majority counterparts. Thus, although as a profession we have made great strides toward training culturally competent counselors, it is essential that we continue to work toward discovering and uncovering new variables that influence counselors’ multicultural counseling competence (MCC). One variable that has received very limited attention in the counseling literature in relation to MCC is bilingualism. This fact is somewhat surprising, considering that theorists both inside and outside the counseling profession have described language as inextricably connected to culture. One notable example is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which was developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. Sapir and Whorf purported that language and thought are intertwined, and that language determines individuals’ thoughts, their conceptualizations and even their culture. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was very popular from the 1930s through the 1960s, but lost favor and was largely discarded by the 1990s. However, aspects of the hypothesis have been revived by the Neo-Whorfians, who contend that language does influence significantly the way in which people perceive the world around them. The Neo-Whorfians have supported their contentions with empirical studies, which have revealed, for example, that language affects people’s representations of time, perceptions of cause and responsibility, and beliefs about agency. If culture and language are indeed related, as the Neo-Whorfians and others have suggested, one may deduce that learning a second language exposes one to diverse cultural values and beliefs. This exposure, in turn, may facilitate multicultural counseling competency development. The purpose of our study was to explore quantitatively the effect of second language acquisition (being bilingual) on counselors’ self-perceived MCC, using the following research question: Do bilingual counseling students significantly self-rate their multicultural counseling knowledge and awareness higher than monolingual counseling students when controlling for ethnicity and multicultural training? Study results indicate that, while controlling for participants’ ethnicity and their multicultural training, bilingual counseling students self-rated their multicultural counseling knowledge and awareness higher than did their monolingual counterparts. Read full article and references: Ivers, N. N., & Villalba, J. A. (2015). The effect of bilingualism on self-perceived multicultural counseling competence. The Professional Counselor , 5 , 419-430. doi : 10.15241/nni.5.3.419 Controlling for ethnicity and multicultural training was important in this study because previous studies have revealed a strong relationship between MCC and these variables. It was important to indicate that bilingual participants self-rated their multicultural knowledge and awareness higher than their monolingual peers because of their bilingual abilities rather than because of their ethnicity or their multicultural training. The effect of bilingualism on multicultural counseling knowledge and awareness may be explained at least in part by the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis and by contact theory. The sustained exposure to the deeper elements of culture sewn into the fabric of language arguably increases second-language learners’ awareness of their own culture and other cultures, as well as enhances their knowledge of cultural principles. These results have implications for counseling training and practice, as well as for future research. Regarding training, it may be important for counselor educators to consider, where feasible and appropriate, recruiting and training prospective counseling students who are bilingual. Also, where feasible, it would be helpful for counseling programs to provide language training opportunities to students, such as second-language training courses, bilingual counseling courses and bilingual supervision. Concerning counseling practice, an increase in the number of bilingual counselors may not only improve access to counseling services for non-English speaking populations, but also enhance the cultural sensitivity of counseling services provided. Concerning future research, additional studies are needed to support and expand these findings, such as examining moderating variables between bilingualism and MCC. Nathaniel N. Ivers, NCC, is an Assistant Professor and Associate Chair at Wake Forest University. José A. Villalba is a Professor and Associate Dean at Wake Forest University. Correspondence may be addressed to Nathaniel N. Ivers, Wake Forest University, Department of Counseling, P.O. Box 7406, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, iversnn@wfu.edu. Nathaniel N. Ivers José A. Villalba The Effect of Bilingualism on Self-Perceived Multicultural Counseling Competence 15 TPC Digest