Synopses & Reviews
The study of bilingualism -- the subject of this important textbook -is no longer exclusively an academic preoccupation but is a practical necessity in today's multilingual world. Over the past two decades, researchers from a wide range of disciplines -- linguistics, psychology, neurology and sociology -- have investigated this complex phenomenon, but the results have been fragmented and often inaccessible to students. Bilinguality and Bilingualism (a thoroughly revised and updated version of the authors' textbook published in French) provides a comprehensive, critical review of current research, focusing on the need for genuinely explanatory accounts and the development of satisfactory theoretical models.
The book explores the way in which bilingualism develops in childhood or later, on its social, neurological and psychological foundations, and on the social and cultural consequences of bilingualism. It also explores the wider issues of languages in contact, both psycholinguistic and sociopolitical, and the applications of bilingual research to language teaching, translation and interpreting, and language planning and policy-making.
The multidisciplinary material is deftly and logically organized to provide a refreshingly clear synthesis which will be invaluable to students and also to specialists who want an up-to-date account of research in different disciplines. It will also be an important reference work for language teachers and for professionals involved in language planning and multilingual education.
Synopsis
The book explores how bilingualism develops in childhood or later; on bilingualism's social, neurological, and psychological foundations; and on bilingualism's social and cultural consequences. It also examines the wider issues of languages in contact, both psycholinguistic and socio-political, and the applications of bilingual research to language teaching, translation and interpreting, and language planning and policy-making. Hamers and Blanc's book--a thoroughly revised and updated version of their textbook originally published in French--provides a comprehensive, critical review of current research, focusing on the need for genuinely explanatory accounts and the development of satisfactory theoretical models.
Synopsis
Bilinguality and Bilingualism (a thoroughly revised and updated version of the authors' textbook published in French) provides a comprehensive, critical review of current research, focusing on the need for genuinely explanatory accounts and the development of satisfactory theoretical models. The book explores the way in which bilingualism develops in childhood or later, on its social, neurological and psychological foundations, and on the social and cultural consequences of bilingualism.
Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. Dimensions and measurement of bilinguality and bilingualism; 2. The ontogenesis of bilinguality; 3. The social and psychological foundations of bilinguality; 4. Information processing in the bilingual; 5. Social psychological aspects of bilinguality: culture and identity; 6. Social psychological aspects of bilinguality: intercultural communication; 7. Multilingualism and intergroup relations; 8. Bilingual education; 9. Bilinguality and second language acquisition; 10. Interpretation, translation and bilinguality.