Bringing up a Bilingual Child

by Rita Rosenback

Bringing up a Bilingual Child is aimed at (existing or soon-to-be) parents in families where more than one language is spoken, as well as anyone in the extended circle of family and friends of such multilingual families and anyone coming into contact with them.

The aim of the book is to help multilingual families to create a supportive environment for children in which they naturally grow up to speak more than one language. 'Bringing up a Bilingual Child' is an easy-to-read practical guide to multilingual parenting, providing motivation, ideas, advice and answers to any questions parents may have.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2014

Reviews

[Mariya · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Celebrate the fact that you are a multilingual family and that your children will grow up to increase the understanding between societies and cultures! Conflicts often arise due to not enough or inadequate communication and I do believe that if more people knew more languages, there would be less misunderstanding in the world."

A fairly good overlook of the seven aspects of teaching your child another language, as defined by the author: Communication, Confidence, Commitment, Consistency, Creativity, Culture and Celebration.
The book was very repetitive, and I dare say mostly common sense, so I was not impressed with the contents. People who doubt their own abilities to teach their kid a "minority" language might find it useful as it focuses more on why you definitely can do it rather than how to do it. A few practical ideas are there. And I was reminded to show pride in my own culture as part of motivation. Another good idea I will try and apply from the book is making an annual celebration of your language and culture, as I think it includes being grateful for one's second language and could be fun, which is another strong motivator.

"Being able to translate from one language to another is a specific skill that takes time to master. Knowing two languages does not mean that you can easily translate between them. Never take for granted that a bilingual can quickly (and without being paid) translate a text for you!"

[Quinton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard Rita speak on a panel randomly on a youtube video that was recommended to me last week, and I decided to order her book. I had heard of her before and seen her website, so it wasn't my first encounter with her, but enough to get me to buy it. The book seems useful, but for me, I had already heard almost everything before. Which is a good thing, isn't it? Anyway, I am only giving it three stars rather than more because I think it focused too much on the higher level and didn't get into enough detail. The details are what I want more of!

[☆ Katie ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed using this book as a resource for raising my bilingual son. The author specifically wrote this book for parents who are teaching their kids a language they already know, regardless of level of fluency. I am a heritage Mandarin Chinese speaker. Even though my vocabulary is limited and my reading and writing skills are very subpar, hesitancies which are specifically addressed in this book, I know that I am capable of gifting my son another language.

The author was born in Finland and speaks Swedish with her two daughters. They speak Punjabi with their father, as well as English.

The book is composed of the 7 C’s: Communication, Confidence, Commitment, Consistency, Creativity, Culture, and Celebration. The book addresses common myths and fears that parents have regarding introducing more than one language to a child at a time. It goes into detail the benefits of bilingualism and also offers many tips and resources for being successful in this endeavor.

[Andy Lieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for more practical advice on raising a bilingual child. There was definitely some, but I found myself tempted to skip over sections that simply served to encourage the reader. Large swathes of the book felt inspirational as opposed to practical. I really liked the family language plan and some ideas for fostering desire to speak the second language.

[Thomas Harboe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it very useful.

[Xavier Jiménez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful