Product Description

The best time to learn a second language is as a child. During childhood, the brain is more receptive to language learning than at any other time in life. Aware that a second language can enrich their child’s understanding of other cultures and bring future job opportunities in a world drawn ever closer by globalization, many parents today are motivated to raise their children bilingual.

This book helps parents in both monolingual and multilingual families determine and achieve their bilingual goals for their child, whether those goals are understanding others, the ability to speak a second language, reading and/or writing in two languages, or some combination of all of these. The authors ex - plain how the brain learns more than one language, explode common myths, address frequently asked questions, and reveal an array of resources available to families.

Packed with insightful anecdotes and powerful strategies, this is a one of a kind guidebook for those seeking to provide their children with a uniquely valuable experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #363204 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Naomi Steiner, M.D. is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who works with bilingual families at Tufts Medical Center Boston.

Susan L. Hayes is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Parent & Child, Parenting, Woman’s Day, and other publications.

Customer Reviews

not what i expected
Judging by the title, i was expecting practical guidance of a pragmatic nature - at step one you do this, at step two this, and so on. Instead there was a lot on the advantages of deciding to bring up your child bilingual. Surely this decision has already been taken by anyone who buys a book that promises 7 steps to raising a bilingual child. I didn't need to be convinced of the advantages of bilingualism, just wanted to know how to go about it. Several cases of bilingual children are quoted, which makes interesting reading but are anecdotal rather than provide an example to follow in order to succeed. It's all a bit too vague.

A good introduction
This book is a good introduction to raising a bilingual child and will certainly be helpful if you are making the decision on how to raise your child. As a parent of a bilingual toddler, I was looking for something more in depth so it wasn't quite what I needed.
I was disappointed that it is very focussed on the USA - this is frustrating for a non-US reader. I also hoped for more practical ideas which were a bit lacking although the case studies were interesting.

practical help with bilingualism
I bought this book because we are raising our son bilingually with Spanish and English and I wanted a real life practical guide not a list of case studies from the USA that meant little to my life. I found this book and would definitely recommed it to anyone raising a bilingual child. It is full of good tips and strategies to deal with the difficulties and frustrations that come with raising a child with two languages. I refer to this book regularly and it's now well thumbed. I have definitely learnt a lot from it and have learnt coping techniques for language development. I have bought other books on this subject but they are collecting dust on the bookcase. Go buy it if you want a good practical no nonsense guide to help you reach your goal of bilingualism for your child.