This book is an introduction to the social and educational aspects of bilingualism. It presents an overview of a broad range of sociolinguistic and political issues surrounding the use of two languages, including code-switching in popular music, advertising, and online social spaces. It offers a well-informed discussion of what it means to study and live with multiple languages in a globalized world and practical advice on raising bilingual children.

Reviews

"Sarah J. Shin’s highly readable and insightful book takes the study of bilingualism in schools and society to a new level. She documents the dynamic ways in which globalization and human migration are affecting all forms of human communication including Internet use, advertising, and popular culture and, in lucid and engaging prose, draws out the implications of these 'global flows' for education and social policies. This book represents an immense accomplishment that will be greatly appreciated by educators and policy-makers alike."

— Jim Cummins, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada

"Bilingualism in Schools and Society is the best introduction to bilingualism in print today. It is thorough, scholarly, well organized, and accessible to a variety of readers. It will serve as an invaluable resource to practitioners and researchers who wish to understand both individual and societal bilingualism, bilingualism and identity, and the many implications of bilingual language use for education."

—Guadalupe Valdés, Bonnie Katz Tenenbaum Professor of Education, Stanford University, USA

"Sarah Shin has expertly combined a critical review of the current research on different aspects of bilingualism with practical advice on policy and practice regarding bilingual schools and families. The result is a fascinating account of the linguistic and social diversity in the contemporary world and a user-friendly parents, teachers, policy makers, and bilingual speakers themselves on what they can do with this hugely rich and uniquely human resource, i.e. bilingualism. A most welcome book and a highly valuable contribution."

—Li Wei, Professor and Chair of Applied Linguistics, Birkbeck College,

University of London, UK

"Bilingualism in Schools and Society is a comprehensive, significant work by a leading scholar and provides an informed, straightforward discussion of issues related to bilingualism and bilingual education. It provides an accessible foundation for those new to the field and an authoritative reference for scholars. The work dispels common misconceptions about bilingualism and bilingual education while providing clear and concise information for educators and stakeholders."

—Terrence G. Wiley, President, Center for Applied Linguistics, USA

Contents

Chapter 1: Facts and myths about bilingualism. Chapter 2: Bilingualism in a globalized world. Chapter...