Product Description

First published in 1986, The Bilingual Family has provided thousands of parents with the information and advice they need to make informed decisions about what language policy to adopt with their children. This second edition contains updated references and new entries to the alphabetical reference guide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81059 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 206 pages

Customer Reviews

Disappointing. Too superficial and lacking concrete advice.
As a parent trying to bring up a child as bilingual, I found this book disappointing. The main negative point is the lack of useful tips and advice on bringing up bilingual children, which is what I was hoping to find. The book seems rather aimed at parents who have not yet decided whether to bring up their child as bilingual or not (there is a whole chapter on this decision, but little to help those who have already taken it). The first couple of chapters contain too much superficial introduction to basic linguistic concepts not directly linked to bilingualism. Part II of the book - brief case studies of bilingual couples and children - is often interesting, and Part III ("an alphabetical reference guide") contains some useful material, along with much that is less useful and relevant. On the whole, the quantity of really useful information in the book was limited. I found the books on bilingualism by G. Saunders of much more practical use.

an easy and informative read
This is a very well written book which is easy to read but nevertheless provides the reader with a great deal of information. The first part of the book discusses how language generally is acquired and the pros and cons of bringing a child up as a bilingual. This is a very helpful introduction as it is difficult to make an informed decision about doing something specific without having the general background. The case studies cover a wide variety of senarios and were helpful. It is however true that the book is probably more helpful as an introduction to bilingualism and not a handbook on how to help biligual children.

an easy and informative read
This is a very well written book which is easy to read but nevertheless provides the reader with a great deal of information. The first part of the book discusses how language generally is acquired and the pros and cons of bringing a child up as a bilingual. This is a very helpful introduction as it is difficult to make an informed decision about doing something specific without having the general background. The case studies cover a wide variety of senarios and were helpful. It is however true that the book is probably more helpful as an introduction to bilingualism than a handbook on how to help bilingual children.