About this pageThis page, which we will continue to update at regular intervals, contains resources which may be useful for bilingual families and teachers of bilingual children. These include brief summaries of and links to popular books on bilingualism and raising bilingual children, as well as links to websites and associations concerned with children growing up with two or more languages. If you have a useful link or know a good book which you would like to share, please mail us at ecb@childbilingualism.org and we'll add it to the relevant page! Websites and associationsBilingual/Bicultural Family Network
Bilingual Families Web Page
Bilingual Family Newsletter
Multilingual Children's Association
Multilingual Utrecht
Ouders Online: Vraagbaak kindertaal en meertaligheid
Bilingual Parenting in a Foreign Language
The Multilingual Network
Raising Bilingual Children
Notes from the OPOL family
BooksA Parents’ and Teachers’ Guide to Bilingualism by Colin Baker This book, now in its third edition, offers a wealth of practical advice to parents and teachers of bilingual and multilingual children. Written in a reader-friendly question and answer format, author Colin Baker, Professor of Education at Bangor University and father of three bilingual children, provides up-to-date, factual information on issues relating to the family, language development, reading and writing and education. A real gem! View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com The Bilingual Family: A Handbook for Parents by Edith Harding-Esch and Philip Riley Written by two applied linguists and parents of bilingual children, this book provides a linguistically-informed overview of many of the issues involved in raising bilingual children. The book is divided into three sections: the first provides an overview of the issues involved, the second lists some 18 case studies of different bilingual families, and the final section consists of an alphabetical reference guide to some of the most frequently asked questions. A very useful book with plenty of information, written in a slightly more academic style than some of the other books. View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com Raising a Bilingual Child by Barbara Zurer Pearson Very readable book from Barbara Zurer Pearson, Research Associate at the University of Massachussetts, USA. View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com Growing Up with Two Languages by Una Cunningham-Andersson and Staffan Andersson This practical guide to raising bilingual children contains numerous tips and suggestions. The book relies heavily on the authors’ personal experience as parents of four English-Swedish children living in Sweden, as well as those gleaned from interviews with fifty families around the world and from relevant internet forums. Chapters cover the early years on Expecting a child in a bilingual home and Language development, as well as tips on Problems you may encounter and The way ahead. View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com The Bilingual Edge: Why, When and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language by Kendall King and Alison Mackey Written in a very accessible style, this book is aimed at parents who -- as the title suggest -- want to teach their children a second language. This includes parents who are themselves monolingual and want their children to learn another language as well as parents of children growing up in minority language households who want their children to become fluent bilinguals. Summaries of the latest research is are handily presented in separate sections, as are fast facts and quick tips. Mackey is Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University and King is Associate Professor of Educational Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania. View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning by Fred Genesee, Johanne Paradis and Martha B. Crago Aimed at language professionals who come into contact with bilingual children, such as teachers and speech language therapists, this book provides a clear and accessible overview of the latest research in bilingual first language acquisition and child second language acquisition. The first chapter introduces profiles of various children which are used to guide the reader through the relevant issues, including diagnosing disorders. The discussion focuses on examples set in North America, but the issues are applicable elsewhere. The authors, all based on Canada, are well-known experts in the field. A second edition is expected soon. View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com Equal Rights to the Curriculum: Many Languages, One Message by Eithne Gallager Pascal Hertay from the Inernational School of The Hague recommends this book for parents and teachers. The flyer says: "The parents of second language children are often seen but not heard in schools. This book is unique in addressing the many issues facing parents of children whose first language is different from that of the school classroom. Drawing on teaching theory, the book provides these parents with a wealth of practical information, guidelines and checklists, enabling them to ask schools intelligent and challenging questions to test whether their children’s linguistic diversity is being properly catered for. The theory review and best practice guidelines should also be of value to teacher-trainers, teachers, administrators and policy makers. They provide an accurate analysis of important issues together with pragmatic pointers towards improving educational practice so that all children growing up in a school’s multicultural society will be guaranteed what they deserve." View at amazon.co.uk or at bol.com |