Bilingual By Choice: Raising Kids in Two

Description

Becoming bilingual is one thing-staying bilingual is another. Bilingual children have social, cultural and economic opportunities available to them that would otherwise be out of reach. For many families, speaking at least one language other than English at home is already a given-more than 51 million people in the U.S. alone live in multilingual homes. But what about when bilingual children go to English-speaking schools and are expected to thrive in a primarily monolingual English-speaking community? How do families maintain a balance and help their children to grow and develop in more than one language? In Bilingual By Choice, Virginie Raguenaud guides parents on how to introduce a second language to their children. She also provides insights, resources, and activities for raising children that will go on to become bilingual adults. This book is the first of its kind to address bilingualism from the cradle to adolescence. Raguenaud uses practical strategies and techniques for any family or instructor to ensure that kids stay engaged and active in every language available to them. By using creativity, consistency and commitment in the classroom (as well as the living room), teaching children a second language can be fun as well as beneficial.