An Introduction to Bilingual Development

By (author) Dr. Annick De Houwer

Publication date:

27 May 2009

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

245x174mm
7x10"

ISBN-13: 9781847691699

Increasingly, children grow up hearing two languages from birth. This introductory textbook shows how children learn to understand and speak those languages against the backdrop of their language learning environments. A narrative around the bilingual development of four young children with different language profiles helps to explain the latest research findings in a lively and accessible manner. The narrative describes how bilingually raised children learn to understand and use sounds, words and sentences in two languages, and how they are able to use each of their languages in socially appropriate ways. Positive attitudes towards bilingual development from the people in bilingual children's environments and their recognition that child bilingualism is not monolingualism-times-two are the main ingredients ensuring that children grow up to be happy and expert speakers of two languages.

1: Introducing the Fancy Term for Bilingual Development: Bilingual First Language Acquisition

2: From Birth to the Comprehension of Words

3: Saying Words and Starting to Combine Them

4: Making Sentences

5: Preschool and Beyond

6: In Conclusion: Bilingual Learning in Context

De Houwer’s book introduces readers to the research findings about bilingual first language acquisition through the charming stories of four imaginary bilingual children growing up in different contexts. Parents, students, and practitioners alike will discover what to expect from typical bilingual acquisition, including how individual “typical” can be!