Be Bilingual - Practical Ideas for Multilingual Families

by Annika Bourgogne

Embraces the subject with more global reach than any I've come across before. A friendly, readable book that provides an intelligent and insightful blend of research-based advice and practical, real-world ideas." --Adam Beck, blogger of Bilingual Monkeys

Children may be like sponges when it comes to language learning, but the key to having them develop into active bilinguals in all their languages is to make it fun and useful in the daily life.

Be Bilingual is full of practical, creative, and fun ideas backed up by the latest research. It shows families how to make multilingualism work in their busy lives. Multilingual families from all around the world have contributed by sharing their best resources and tips on how to make growing up with two or more languages an enjoyable experience.

Parent friendly and informative, the book has ideas for families across a wide range of different multilingual situations: mixed-language marriages, expats, international adoption, single parent- and trilingual families, and parents who speak a non-native language to their children.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Linguistics, Language, Education, Childrens

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2012

About the author

Annika Bourgogne holds a Master of Arts degree in French and English from the University of Helsinki. She has written her master’s degree on bilingualism, and is mother to two bilingual daughters.

Passionate about family bilingualism, she is constantly looking for new ways to combine real-life parenting with the latest research on the subject. She works as a language teacher in Helsinki, Finland.

Reviews

[Quinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a good dozen plus books about raising bilingual children, and this one felt like a breath of fresh air. It referenced studies, but in an accessible way. It referenced the author's own experience, but only when more broadly relatable. It doesn't leave anything out (what is a bilingual child, family language planning, recommendations, common questions, and usable activities).

The author is aware that her family is in a privileged situation. So although many recommendations may not be relevant to my (or another's) situation, it is not tone-deaf and much is still usable. Similarly, this book was written in 2013 so has aged. But it has aged MUCH better than most books on this topic. References to MySpace and traveler's checks are a reason to laugh, but don't take up whole chapters.

There is one pet-peeve of mine in the book, which is the long-debunked (before 2013) myth of 'learning styles'. Research has proven time and time again that there is no such a thing as 'audio, visual, kinesthetic, etc.' learners. It is annoying that otherwise well-informed people continue to spread this myth.

In the end I have decided to give the book 5 stars. I think I will begin to recommend it to others. I like Eowyn Crisfield's "Bilingual Families" better for info about family language planning. I like Ute Limacher-Riebold's "The Toolbox for Multilingual Families" better for many different activity suggestions. I like Christine Jernigan's "Family Language Learning" better for people who are not sure if they are 'fluent' enough to raise bilingual children. But I think "Be Bilingual" by Annika Bourgogne is the among the best out there for someone who wants to raise their children to be bilingual and doesn't have the time or interest for 5 different books. I think it is an excellent and accessible synthesis.

[OxoNewbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was on display at my local library and it was a very fortuitous discovery, as I have a baby and I'm a speaker of a minority language which is no longer my strongest language with family members not that close by. In a nutshell, I need all the help that I can get.

I found this book accessible and not bogged down with too much terminology (so useful to highlight terminology in bold). Having paragraphs summarizing the latest academic research (Words From the Wise) with personal anecdotes (View From the Front Lines) gave this book a good balance of intellectual credibility and real-life, practical advice.

This book is well organised with two sections: Planning It Out and Putting It Into Action. The first section really made me think about what I wanted to achieve. The second section had lots of useful tips including online resources (this book was published in 2013, and I read it in 2018).

The author acknowledges that her situation lends itself well to raising bilingual children but she is humble enough to realise that she doesn't know it all and happily welcomes feedback from readers.

The two main points that I will take away from reading this book (as I am a person that likes figures):
1) Children need to be exposed to the minority language for 30% of their awake time (roughly 25 hours).
2) Reading should be for half an hour each day.

I would definitely recommend this book to parents who want guidance on raising a bilingual child and who doesn't have time to read a thick, reader-unfriendly book. A well deserved 4 stars.

[Lelde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, structured a bit like a research with a case study as it's based on the author's master thesis and her family's experience. Despite the book being a bit old in terms of practical proposals (renting DVDs, carrying travelers checks) I did learn something new as well. Not touching much on the subject of having more than two languages, which interests me.

[Mar Beveridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how concise it was, making it readable in two short sittings. Having grown up trilingual, I was familiar with a lot of the techniques my family used but this book added more tools to my toolkit. I especially enjoyed the emphasis given to travelling to the home country and the child's relationship with all the people that will anchor them to the minority language. One slight niggle is that a lot of the book's advice was only useful if your minority language is popular (in the book the example is French). While I completely understand that's the case for many people it would have been great to see more ideas that work in languages that don't have as much prominence in communities or media.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability. The author discussed the history of bilingualism and the research behind it much more, but also included a lot of ideas of how to increase exposure and need.

[Rin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book were reassuring for me. Especially the parts of the book that said that children will likely speak better than their parents in the languages if the parents are not natural speakers. I found some of the information about how to support minority languages useful as well. However, I found a lot of this advice to either be irrelevant or dated to me. It could be because of the age difference or location issues. It was also kind of crazy that they recommended ridiculous language learning tips such as joining the chamber of commerce or other things such as that. I guess this is because the book is aimed at upper-middle-class expats, but I still found it to be goofy. The book isn't organized in a good way and there were some errors but otherwise good information for someone who needs beginner information on this stuff.

[Luisa Fernanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was easy to read, touching on different theories and approaches without getting scientific. i liked the non judgemental way in which it was written (not always the case when reading books on how to bring up a child) and how it acknowledged the fact that it is sn effort and different goals which you want / can achieve depending on your personal circumstance. it also made me reflect on what we are doing, what i could do better and also reminded me to have a check in with my husband about this topic.

not 5 stars as i would have liked to have more statistics/scientific research and reading recommendations + it needs an update (e.g. links no longer existing, platforms mentioned which are outdated)

[Tomas Modrovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read book for all families raising their kids bilingual (multilingual).

Easy to read book from an author who has gone through all of the content in her own private life and had conducted research in this field within her master thesis.

For me personally it was of high importance to purchase this book. Started reading, finished studying. Some of the chapters I have been reading over and over.

One of the most important findings for me was the importance of setting bilingual goal upfront (level of language skill). Because only than You are able to know which method to use, which way to go and above all, whether You are ready and prepared to pursue this path for years to come.

[Daniel Ramirez Cano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for setting up a language learning strategy

This is a good first book for identifying basic ideas around raising bilingual children. Key contribution is the proposal of different language strategies to use in the family according to the family's language mix. Also provides some basic but very practical tips. It falls short in discussing the challenges of learning a second language while at the same time making sure children are fully supported in appropriately learning the community language. It also needs to go deeper in the discussion about adapting second language learning strategies as children's primary learning at school evolves.

[Anja Wittich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and engaging

I enjoyed this book as it is very good guide of how to raise bilingual children. I enjoyed the balance of science, own experience and ideas. It is only not 5 stars as I wished there was a bit more problem solving to certain issues which might arise when raising a bilingual child but the author herself acknowledges that as she focuses on the positive rather than the negative.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book to get more practical ideas about how to raise bilingual kids. It convinced me of the necessity of using the model of minority language in the home and had some good (although some no linger working) resources for books, songs, movies, and other materials. This book is definitely written from a European perspective with the focus on language prestige and recommendations like getting an au pair. Overall a lot of repetition and Eurocentric recommendations.

[Einar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learnt a couple new things in the theory section, but the "practical section", which was the reason I wanted to read this book in particular, wasn't very helpful. Mostly I already had thought of all of her ideas. Basically you can summarize the whole practical portion as: give your child as many opportunities to learn the minority language as possible. I certainly agree with that idea, but I don't think I needed half a book to give me ideas of how to put it into practice.

[Adrian Danescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for parents coming from different cultures. Thoughtfully written and thought provoking, with many useful suggestions. In our case the book also helped clear some blind spots as well as set realistic goals for our child's multilingual future.

[Karis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, clearly written introduction for multilingual families on how to use and introduce languages at home. Lots of good ideas for many different situations which we will hopefully be able to use over the years!

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative, so complete!

Don't remember how I ran into this book but oh my it has been so great! I loved the information beard on studies and the Informatik based on people's experience. This book has it all. So exited to use All the tolls I learnt with my child.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy read, full of interesting and useful information. It can give an initial idea of what approach would work for your family and then has nice suggestions on what to do with older kids to make sure they keep on using the languages.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and practical ideas!

[Vanessa DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful tips for families wanting to raise their children bilingually. Quick to read. Wish I had bought it in hard copy so I could easily refer to it in the future.

[André Soares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! So positive and filled with amazing good ideas!

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great practical suggestions to encourage bilingualism in the home.

[Myles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful book for exploding some common myths about how to raise a bilingual child.

[Can Mert Aydemir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Positive and Helpful Content

This happens to be the first book I read about raising our 6 months old daughter bilingual, and the positive attitude with helful (detailed) content of the author was a great start!

Also, appreciate her leaving her email in the book for any feedback.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and practical guide to breaking down different ways to live a bilingual life with your children. Worth a read!

[Bernie Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great but a bit outdated now.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I previously posted this review on amazon)

The short & sweet review:
If you are already raising bilingual children, or considering it, buy this book. It is THE foundation for your bilingual library.


The more in-depth review:
Annika Bourgogne starts off by establishing her credentials. It's quickly clear that she is qualified to talk about this subject, not only by virtue of her studies, but because she is raising her children in a bilingual household. Though she grew up monolingual, she was surrounded by two languages and cultures. She is well aware of the many theories surrounding bilingualism, including those suggesting it is somehow detrimental. Right away, the reader sees that she is not speaking from an academic ivory tower. Though she includes useful information from various studies, she is living the experience, just like the rest of us who are looking for real advice.

I found the book's layout extremely helpful. Ms Bourgogne starts with generalities, then brings in the research, and finally, adds in real-life advice from the parents who have "been there, done that." This makes it easy for the reader to sort through the information and find what will be useful for his/her family.

She seems to be a strong proponent of "whatever works for your family is the right way," which is refreshing when so many books on bilingualism are staunch supporters of their way (MLAH vs OPOL), and their way only, eschewing the "other" viewpoint as fundamentally flawed and destined to fail.
She encourages parents to be sure their child is getting enough of the minority language, time-wise, in the interest of keeping the child's skill level up to par in that language, but does not push any specific methodological agenda.

Ms Bourgogne's book is full of actual, useful suggestions. She lists various websites that may be helpful, and gives plenty of real-life advice on how to enhance exposition to the minority language. She also deals with the common questions parents face, like, "What do I do when my child won't speak my language?" She makes an interesting point about how to conciliate various language activities with different personality types, which is something I haven't seen addressed elsewhere.

I am currently raising two bilingual sons who are both in primary school, and I've lived in my adopted country for about fifteen years now. I started studying my second language at age 12, and have studied linguistics, phonetics, language acquisition and speech language pathology, along with other books about raising bilingual kids. So I don't think of myself as a novice as far as bilingualism or raising bilingual children is concerned. For that reason, I didn't learn a lot from this book that I haven't read before elsewhere - however, this book sums everything up very neatly. Its presentation of the available information and its practical suggestions make it a perfect read for the parent who is beginning his or her foray into the world of raising a bilingual child, or for the parent who is already deep in the trenches but is looking for a clear, concise review of the subject. This book should be the cornerstone of any library dealing with raising bilingual children.


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many parents want their children to be bilingual, but even if you are bilingual (or speak a different language from that of the country you live in), it's no easy feat. As Bourgogne tells us, "Sponges only absorb when dipped in water, not thin air or good will." Becoming a bilingual family requires extensive planning, commitment, and a variety of resources. This book will help you find the resources and make a plan, but the commitment is up to you. Bourgogne presents plenty of research identifying the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism, and by the end of the book you'll also have a better assessment of how much work will be involved, and how to select an appropriate level of commitment based on your desired outcome (fluency in two languages, biliteracy, and so on).

Bourgogne advocates two primary methods in this book: "one-parent-one-language," and "minority language at home." There are other possible approaches and these methods are also tailored to various situations, but these are the two that receive the most focus. OPOL involves each parent speaking a language in which he or she is fluent with the child, so that each language is supported at home; mL@H involves one language inside the home and another outside the home, primarily supported by the community. While Bourgogne's techniques can be adapted for families that speak or intend to speak three or more languages, most of the information is tailored to bilingualism. She outlines how to make both languages an important part of everyday life, continually underlining the importance of need: if a child does not need a language to communicate, she or he will be less likely to speak it. (This is true of adult language learners as well, and there are plenty of ideas that adult language learners can implement.) She also addresses include expat living, international adoption, single parenting, and trilingualism.

The book is also filled with ways to find and take advantage of family and community support, not just locally but globally. Some of the advice contained in these pages is relevant to any parent, but if you intend to have a bilingual family, it is required reading. And start early! If you begin planning and decision-making before your child arrives, you will have more options and have plenty of time to find an approach that works for your family. Finally, Bourgogne ends the book on the note that language goals and plans can and should be reassessed periodically, as your family and its needs evolve. This is a book you'll refer to over and over again, and the resources suggested are an excellent jumping-off point for your journey.

[Tran Quoc Nam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title of the book suggests, it is a practical book for the parents who desire to raise their bilingual kids. To be honest, I had made some searches to look for such kind of book since I was considerably disappointed with some books of the topic of bi/multilingualism (they beat around the bush, talked about the same thing over and over without any practical guide or advice). The book is quite concise and not lengthy and it does not repeat the same content.

The first part of the book helps you to find a proper approach to plan to raise your child multilingual. You can skip this part if you've have chosen a rule for your own. Mine is OPOL method (one parent one language).

Next, the author gives an insight into the tips to put into action. Here are the most useful advice that is applicable to and relevant for my current situation: Just to ignore if people stare at you when you are speaking the minority language to your kid. If, however, you need to speak the community language in certain situations, try saying things to them in the majority language first and then repeating it to your child in your language.

On the other hand, some references in the book are either quite outdated (websites…) or irrelevant to parents of other countries because it was written a decade ago. Therefore, you need to find the latest sources on the Internet some simple searches.

Overall, I particularly like this book and recommend it to parents who are seeking a practical, concise book for raising bilingual children.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up there was a beautiful little girl down the block. Her dad was Italian, her mom was French, and she grew up speaking a French/Italian/English blend at home as neither parent was fluent in the others’ language. I remember listening in awe to her mom’s brisk French at playdates and wishing I could understand those foreign sounds. Be Biligual is a fascinating look at the world of raising bilingual children. Part anecdotal, well researched and entirely informative; Annika Bourgogne puts her Master’s Degree, passion for bilingualism, and years of experience to good use in this amazing resource. This book is full of informative background, clear explanations of methods, and practical how-tos. Bourgogne easily dispels the myths about bilingualism and then launches into the practicalities for setting goals for your family. She uses research, experience, and expert advice to make a complex field accessible for families. Every piece of the first section is fascinating and clearly written and the second part, full of ideas for putting ideas into practice, is at least equally as useful. It lays out practical ideas regardless of your chosen approach and ways to reinforce the minority language. She also offers troubleshooting ideas for various common situations. Comforting, articulate, and thoughtful, if you have every considered raising a bilingual child, this has everything you need to get started.

[Katrina Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contained excellent information about approaching bilingualism as a parent. The sections of research and advise from experts in the field of bilingualism was well-balanced by examples of what has worked in her family and families that contributed to the book. It covered everything from possible goals and approaches to bilingualism to concrete examples and situations with children from ages 2-11.

[Varya Cwov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is very-well written from the linguistic point of view as well as it is easy for parents to get ideas on how to apply 2nd and consecutive languages to the family. I especially like how the author points out that bilingualism is not a problem and should never be look upon this way. It is a natural way of life and it is up to us, parents, how we implement languages into the family life.