Product Description

Written in a very reader-friendly style, the book is a practical introduction for parents and teachers to bilingualism. Straightforward and realistic answers are given to a comprehensive set of frequently asked questions about bilingualism and bilingual education. Areas covered include family, language, culture, identity, reading, writing, schooling and issues.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114137 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 227 pages

About the Author
Colin Baker is Professor of Education at the University of Wales, Bangor and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has three bilingual children and frequently gives talks to parents and teachers on bilingualism. He is the author of 14 books and over 50 articles on bilingualism and bilingual education, with specific interests in bilingual development and bilingual education. His books include Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (4th edition 2006) which has been translated into Japanese, Spanish, Latvian, Greek and Mandarin. He is the Editor of the International Journal of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education.

Customer Reviews

Practical guide to bilingualism
Colin Baker's book is a practical guide for achieving bilingualism in children. Its structure makes it very easily accessible to both parents and teachers alike, in that each section addresses a question about a particular aspect of bilingualism. It is split into two main sections, the first one dealing with issues in the home and the second one with issues in the school environment. Some sections also contain references for those interested in delving a bit deeper into the subject. There is a helpful glossary at the back of the book explaining the linguistic terminology used throughout the book. All in all, it's an excellent guide for people interested in bilingual issues.

A good message but poor on specific, practical information
This book confirms and repeats, over and over again, that bilingualism is a good thing, that there are no disadvantages to bilingualism, and that young children are, for the most part, good at learning languages. This should allay any unfounded fears parents may have that bilingualism might not be a good idea. The poor side of the book is that it can essentially be condensed into the above review. There is little or no practical advice on how parents can best bring up a baby to be bilingual short of those methods obvious to most people (e.g. "talk to your child"). The second half of the book covers different approaches in different schools. The message is good (if obvious), the content shallow.

an excellent and easy to read introduction to the subject
This book really met our family's needs - we are a bilingual family, in the exact same situation as Colin Baker and his family - which ment that the case studies were of real practical help. It is really useful to use as an arguing tool for anybody who comes up against prejudice against bringing one's children bilingual.
It's also very easy to read, I feel I'll be referring to this one again!