What do you think?
Rate this book
Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability: Ideas and inspiration for even greater success and joy raising bilingual kids
Praised worldwide by parents and experts in the field, "Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability" is the uniquely empowering guidebook to the bilingual journey by Adam Beck, author of "Bilingual Success Stories Around the World" and founder of the popular blog Bilingual Monkeys and the lively forum The Bilingual Zoo.
Beck, a longtime practitioner of bilingual development in children, shares the best of his personal experience as an educator and parent, offering a wealth of actionable advice in this practical and comprehensive roadmap to greater success and joy raising bilingual and multilingual kids.
Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability will enable you to...
*Deepen your grasp of the key factors (including the two “core conditions”) for successfully nurturing a bilingual child
*Strengthen your efforts by taking even more mindful and effective action on a regular basis
*Boost your child’s language development, day by day, and bilingual ability over the years of childhood
*Empower your spirit and feel greater motivation, enthusiasm, and perseverance
*Experience a more joyful adventure with your child and a richer, closer relationship
Praised by parents of bilingual and multilingual kids around the world...
“There are many resources out there for bilingual families, but Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability is uniquely special.” —Ana Paula in the U.S.
“After reading Adam’s book and putting into practice every tactic suitable to our circumstances, I noticed extraordinary progress in my son’s language ability.” —Deborah in the U.S.
“If you are going to read one book about raising bilingual children, make it this one. We finished reading it feeling really inspired and full of new ideas.” —Alex in the U.K.
“Looks at bilingual upbringing from a different angle. Full of passion, enthusiasm, positivity, and interesting insights.” —Jana in the U.K.
“The most useful, practical, and motivating book on the market.” —Arancha in Spain
“If you are a parent looking to raise your child with two or more languages, look no further. This is the book you need.” —Alisa in France
“A treasure trove of wonderful practical ideas and creative tips.” —Julia in the U.S.
“The perfect guidebook for our family’s ongoing multilingual journey.” —Jonathan in Japan
“An ideal read when you’re expecting, and a good present for future parents to a bilingual baby!” —Julie in the U.K.
“A very inspirational book. A must-read for bilingual families.” —Gabi in Argentina
Praised by experts in the field...
“A pure gem! Adam Beck has created a truly wonderful and easily readable book that parents everywhere will enjoy and that bilingual families and children will benefit from.” —Dr. Annick De Houwer, leading researcher of child bilingualism and author of Bilingual First Language Acquisition
“Who but Adam Beck can tie together the complexities of raising a bilingual child with such wisdom, warmth, and wit? He shows how fun speaking another language at home can be." —Christine Jernigan, PhD in foreign language education and author of Family Language Learning
“I have recommended it often to parents raising bilingual children. Without fail, their reaction is ‘Thank you. This is exactly what I need.’” —Jennifer Brunk, longtime educator and founder of the popular site Spanish Playground
“If books are food for thought and if continuing to learn about bilingualism is an essential part of a bilingual parent’s mental diet, Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is nutritional superfood…the ideal guidebook for parents who are sure of their commitment to bilingual parenting but in need of ideas and ongoing inspiration.” —Michele Cherie, writer and founder of the blog Intentional Mama
Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is available at Amazon, the global Amazon sites, and other booksellers including The Book Depository.
Beck, a longtime practitioner of bilingual development in children, shares the best of his personal experience as an educator and parent, offering a wealth of actionable advice in this practical and comprehensive roadmap to greater success and joy raising bilingual and multilingual kids.
Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability will enable you to...
*Deepen your grasp of the key factors (including the two “core conditions”) for successfully nurturing a bilingual child
*Strengthen your efforts by taking even more mindful and effective action on a regular basis
*Boost your child’s language development, day by day, and bilingual ability over the years of childhood
*Empower your spirit and feel greater motivation, enthusiasm, and perseverance
*Experience a more joyful adventure with your child and a richer, closer relationship
Praised by parents of bilingual and multilingual kids around the world...
“There are many resources out there for bilingual families, but Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability is uniquely special.” —Ana Paula in the U.S.
“After reading Adam’s book and putting into practice every tactic suitable to our circumstances, I noticed extraordinary progress in my son’s language ability.” —Deborah in the U.S.
“If you are going to read one book about raising bilingual children, make it this one. We finished reading it feeling really inspired and full of new ideas.” —Alex in the U.K.
“Looks at bilingual upbringing from a different angle. Full of passion, enthusiasm, positivity, and interesting insights.” —Jana in the U.K.
“The most useful, practical, and motivating book on the market.” —Arancha in Spain
“If you are a parent looking to raise your child with two or more languages, look no further. This is the book you need.” —Alisa in France
“A treasure trove of wonderful practical ideas and creative tips.” —Julia in the U.S.
“The perfect guidebook for our family’s ongoing multilingual journey.” —Jonathan in Japan
“An ideal read when you’re expecting, and a good present for future parents to a bilingual baby!” —Julie in the U.K.
“A very inspirational book. A must-read for bilingual families.” —Gabi in Argentina
Praised by experts in the field...
“A pure gem! Adam Beck has created a truly wonderful and easily readable book that parents everywhere will enjoy and that bilingual families and children will benefit from.” —Dr. Annick De Houwer, leading researcher of child bilingualism and author of Bilingual First Language Acquisition
“Who but Adam Beck can tie together the complexities of raising a bilingual child with such wisdom, warmth, and wit? He shows how fun speaking another language at home can be." —Christine Jernigan, PhD in foreign language education and author of Family Language Learning
“I have recommended it often to parents raising bilingual children. Without fail, their reaction is ‘Thank you. This is exactly what I need.’” —Jennifer Brunk, longtime educator and founder of the popular site Spanish Playground
“If books are food for thought and if continuing to learn about bilingualism is an essential part of a bilingual parent’s mental diet, Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is nutritional superfood…the ideal guidebook for parents who are sure of their commitment to bilingual parenting but in need of ideas and ongoing inspiration.” —Michele Cherie, writer and founder of the blog Intentional Mama
Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability is available at Amazon, the global Amazon sites, and other booksellers including The Book Depository.
310 pages, Unknown Binding
Published April 17, 2016
226 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
About the author
Adam Beck
5 books25 followersAdam Beck is the author of the popular books "Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability" and "Bilingual Success Stories Around the World", both praised worldwide by parents and leaders in the field of child bilingualism for their practical and empowering approach to the bilingual aim. He is also the author of the playful “picture book for adults” titled "I WANT TO BE BILINGUAL!" (illustrated by Pavel Goldaev), which emphasizes the most important information parents need for realizing joyful success on a bilingual journey.
In addition, he created "28 Bilingual English-Spanish Fairy Tales & Fables", a language learning resource containing short, simple texts on dual-facing English and Spanish pages. This engaging book, with online audio, is useful for any learner of Spanish or English, from kids to adults.
Adam is the founder of the influential blog Bilingual Monkeys and the lively forum The Bilingual Zoo. Along with his books and his online writing, he provides empowering support to bilingual and multilingual families through personal coaching, online and off, and through speaking appearances at conferences and workshops worldwide. He is on the consultation team at the Harmonious Bilingualism Network (HaBilNet), led by Annick De Houwer.
An educator for over 30 years, Adam has worked with hundreds of bilingual and multilingual children as a classroom teacher and private tutor. Originally from the United States, he has lived in Hiroshima, Japan since 1996 and is raising two trilingual children in Japanese, English, and Spanish. He attended college in New York, graduate school in San Francisco, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Czech Republic, where he taught English at the University of West Bohemia in the city of Plzen.
Adam also has a background in theater arts and worked for many years in children’s theater as a director and playwright. He is the author of the award-winning humorous novel for children and adults titled "How I Lost My Ear" (illustrated by Simon Farrow), which critics have called "an extraordinary imaginative achievement" and compared to "the best of Roald Dahl."
In addition, he created "28 Bilingual English-Spanish Fairy Tales & Fables", a language learning resource containing short, simple texts on dual-facing English and Spanish pages. This engaging book, with online audio, is useful for any learner of Spanish or English, from kids to adults.
Adam is the founder of the influential blog Bilingual Monkeys and the lively forum The Bilingual Zoo. Along with his books and his online writing, he provides empowering support to bilingual and multilingual families through personal coaching, online and off, and through speaking appearances at conferences and workshops worldwide. He is on the consultation team at the Harmonious Bilingualism Network (HaBilNet), led by Annick De Houwer.
An educator for over 30 years, Adam has worked with hundreds of bilingual and multilingual children as a classroom teacher and private tutor. Originally from the United States, he has lived in Hiroshima, Japan since 1996 and is raising two trilingual children in Japanese, English, and Spanish. He attended college in New York, graduate school in San Francisco, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Czech Republic, where he taught English at the University of West Bohemia in the city of Plzen.
Adam also has a background in theater arts and worked for many years in children’s theater as a director and playwright. He is the author of the award-winning humorous novel for children and adults titled "How I Lost My Ear" (illustrated by Simon Farrow), which critics have called "an extraordinary imaginative achievement" and compared to "the best of Roald Dahl."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 29, 2020
This book offers some good very basic points to start. But these points were too basic and too obvious. I liked that he alerted me to take bilingual journey more seriously but...
A) I felt like the whole meaning of his life was to raise his children such that they speak the "minority" language.
B) I hated those american style 'jokes'...
C) Incredibly repetitive.
A) I felt like the whole meaning of his life was to raise his children such that they speak the "minority" language.
B) I hated those american style 'jokes'...
C) Incredibly repetitive.
April 27, 2016
Adam's advice on raising multilingual children is very valuable because he has tremendous experience in multilingual classroom and as a father of his own bilingual children.
Pros:
- the book is very well organized. There are two parts: Perspectives and Principles. Perspectives will shift your mindset about raising bilingual children, it is all about ways of thinking be mindful about your journey. Principles is a practical part. And the tips are so easy to implement, you can start right now.
- stories, a lot of stories. The are very personal, funny, sometimes tearful but always inspiring. Adam talks to your heart, not only to your mind.
- the view on bilingualism through the mirror of your personal relationships with your kids. As a side effect of reading this book - you will become a better parent
Cons:
- nothing else will get done while you are reading this book, it will hold all your attention
- you wont get good night sleep, because you will want to read one more chapter, and then one more, and one more...
Great book, must read for parents of bilingual children.
Pros:
- the book is very well organized. There are two parts: Perspectives and Principles. Perspectives will shift your mindset about raising bilingual children, it is all about ways of thinking be mindful about your journey. Principles is a practical part. And the tips are so easy to implement, you can start right now.
- stories, a lot of stories. The are very personal, funny, sometimes tearful but always inspiring. Adam talks to your heart, not only to your mind.
- the view on bilingualism through the mirror of your personal relationships with your kids. As a side effect of reading this book - you will become a better parent
Cons:
- nothing else will get done while you are reading this book, it will hold all your attention
- you wont get good night sleep, because you will want to read one more chapter, and then one more, and one more...
Great book, must read for parents of bilingual children.
November 17, 2016
All in all, I would say it's a book worth your time if you are aiming to raise bilingual kids. It offers enough practical tips and ideas for you to work out a new language learning routine straight after reading.
The first half of the book is about adjusting your mindset and attitudes towards the task, which is necessary but probably one touch too lengthy and repetitive. The second half is where the author offers solid ideas and advice - the part that really earned the stars for the book in my case. The author is very hard on the idea of training your kids from birth as that was what he did, which was distressing for me as i have already missed the crucial first years but still hoping that I would find some answers from this book. I did find them, through personal emails to the author, and if I look past what was said about teaching from birth, I can say most of his ideas are actually all applicable for bilingual teaching from later years too.
Adam was amazingly helpful and encouraging at a personal level. He replied to all my emails extremely promptly and I can't say all author can be that easily accessible or available. He makes a reader feel very welcome and included and probably will be one of those pioneers that you'd want to hold on to during the lonely years of bilingual battles.
The first half of the book is about adjusting your mindset and attitudes towards the task, which is necessary but probably one touch too lengthy and repetitive. The second half is where the author offers solid ideas and advice - the part that really earned the stars for the book in my case. The author is very hard on the idea of training your kids from birth as that was what he did, which was distressing for me as i have already missed the crucial first years but still hoping that I would find some answers from this book. I did find them, through personal emails to the author, and if I look past what was said about teaching from birth, I can say most of his ideas are actually all applicable for bilingual teaching from later years too.
Adam was amazingly helpful and encouraging at a personal level. He replied to all my emails extremely promptly and I can't say all author can be that easily accessible or available. He makes a reader feel very welcome and included and probably will be one of those pioneers that you'd want to hold on to during the lonely years of bilingual battles.
April 1, 2019
If this is the first book you read about raising bilingual children then you will find a lot of tips. If not, there are few tips that you might not have heard about from other books. I found it terribly repetitive, it could be condensed to half of what it is, if he would not repeat himself once and again in every chapter in one way or another. I think that you can get useful ideas even if you have read other books, just scan through it and focus on the parts that are relevant to you.
January 2, 2025
I’d recommend this to anyone trying to raise a multilingual child. Especially helpful for both setting expectations and developing habits that encourage language acquisition.
October 12, 2020
DNF. Mostly a pep talk with some very basic advice.
February 2, 2017
Adam Beck writes from his many years of experience of teaching at bilingual schools and offers practical tips as well as solid encouragement from his own life while raising bilingual children. I really enjoyed this book as I can relate as both the child and the parent of different bilingual journeys.
I grew up only speaking my family’s minority language (ml) until I started school in the majority language (ML). With parents that only spoke ml at home, I should have been fluent as I got older. But this isn’t the case, and I always felt frustrated that I lost my ability to speak ml when it should have been so easy. Adam talks extensively about EXPOSURE and NEED to use the ml, and I clearly lost the NEED when my parents accepted my answers in the ML.
Now as a parent, I am taking the lessons from my past experience and encouragement from Adam's book (and his forum!) to help my children’s bilingual ability. I believe bilingual ability is so important to nurture, and I encourage anyone who agrees to pick up this book for their children’s sake. Adam writes that all children wish to be bilingual, even if they don’t realize it yet.
I grew up only speaking my family’s minority language (ml) until I started school in the majority language (ML). With parents that only spoke ml at home, I should have been fluent as I got older. But this isn’t the case, and I always felt frustrated that I lost my ability to speak ml when it should have been so easy. Adam talks extensively about EXPOSURE and NEED to use the ml, and I clearly lost the NEED when my parents accepted my answers in the ML.
Now as a parent, I am taking the lessons from my past experience and encouragement from Adam's book (and his forum!) to help my children’s bilingual ability. I believe bilingual ability is so important to nurture, and I encourage anyone who agrees to pick up this book for their children’s sake. Adam writes that all children wish to be bilingual, even if they don’t realize it yet.
June 30, 2023
I read this book because I have a 6 month old son and I want him to learn both English and Chinese. I was looking for specific methods and strategies that have been proven to help children learn multiple languages. For the most part this book was helpful in that regard. Before you pursue this book it's important to know how it's structured.
The first half is Adam sharing "Perspectives" which focuses on your mindset and how you should think. The second half is "Principles" which discusses what to do to raise a bilingual child. What this means is that the entire first half of this book is a pep talk...be patient, focus, seize the day, etc etc. For the first 30 pages this was nice...it was motivating and primed me to nail this bilingual child thing. By page 50 it gets repetitive and tiresome. By page 70 I've started to get annoyed and just want to move on with techniques. By page 90 I'm getting angry. Finally at page 99 Chicken Soup for the Bilingual Soul is over and we can get down to business. I didn't need motivation, I needed proven techniques for effectively raising a bilingual child. If page counts do not resonate with you, I'll explain that there are 30 Perspectives and 30 Principles...equivalent to chapters. Consider that...30 individual chapters on your mindset for raising a child. In my opinion, excessive.
The rest of the book is fine. The Principles section starts out with some great content. The first few chapters offer great approaches based on both research and the author's personal experience as an educator in Japan. Once you pass Principle 10 the content becomes lighter, and before you know it by Principle 25 wrapping up the book with more pep talks.
Reading this book helped me think about how I am going to raise my child to learn two languages. The first half was annoying and throw-away but regardless it kept me in a frame of mind where I was thinking about how I want to raise my child which is a good thing. If you're still wavering about this book, consider sampling by going to the author's blog The Bilingual Zoo. He mentioned he pulled most of his content from this site so perhaps that is a sufficient substitute for this book. Or, I can summarize the content now: raising bilingual kids is hard, expose them to as much of the "minority" language as possible, and read with your child 15 minutes every day.
The first half is Adam sharing "Perspectives" which focuses on your mindset and how you should think. The second half is "Principles" which discusses what to do to raise a bilingual child. What this means is that the entire first half of this book is a pep talk...be patient, focus, seize the day, etc etc. For the first 30 pages this was nice...it was motivating and primed me to nail this bilingual child thing. By page 50 it gets repetitive and tiresome. By page 70 I've started to get annoyed and just want to move on with techniques. By page 90 I'm getting angry. Finally at page 99 Chicken Soup for the Bilingual Soul is over and we can get down to business. I didn't need motivation, I needed proven techniques for effectively raising a bilingual child. If page counts do not resonate with you, I'll explain that there are 30 Perspectives and 30 Principles...equivalent to chapters. Consider that...30 individual chapters on your mindset for raising a child. In my opinion, excessive.
The rest of the book is fine. The Principles section starts out with some great content. The first few chapters offer great approaches based on both research and the author's personal experience as an educator in Japan. Once you pass Principle 10 the content becomes lighter, and before you know it by Principle 25 wrapping up the book with more pep talks.
Reading this book helped me think about how I am going to raise my child to learn two languages. The first half was annoying and throw-away but regardless it kept me in a frame of mind where I was thinking about how I want to raise my child which is a good thing. If you're still wavering about this book, consider sampling by going to the author's blog The Bilingual Zoo. He mentioned he pulled most of his content from this site so perhaps that is a sufficient substitute for this book. Or, I can summarize the content now: raising bilingual kids is hard, expose them to as much of the "minority" language as possible, and read with your child 15 minutes every day.
March 24, 2019
Fueled by noticeable improvement in my child's minority language after we spent a month back in Vietnam visiting the grandparents, I am in search for a deeper strategy and practical tips. This book is great for several reasons
I really enjoyed the principles section. It provides a frame to hang ideas and daily habits.
A few personal takeaways for me
- Talk, talk talk to the kids!!
- Read, read, read to the kids!
- Provide a print rich environment (and try not to get imagery to ovettake the print component). This includes what he terms captive reading, e.g when theyre on the toilet, using the door. Adam gave his kids instructions in minority language with a hidden prize
- Introduce a monolingual stuffed toy
- Wordless picture books for the freedom of words
- In order to sustain daily homework, make up silly sentences
Additional resources:
Bilingual Monkeys and Bilingual Zoo
Now I'm reading but Nora Gaydos
Phonics book - Spectrum series from Carson Dellosa Publishing Group
Tell tales fairy tales cards
Multilingual parenting.com
Games for reading and games for writing by Peggy Kaye
Bilingual: life and reality, by Francois Grosjean
Trilingualmama.com
Trilingualchildren.com
I really enjoyed the principles section. It provides a frame to hang ideas and daily habits.
A few personal takeaways for me
- Talk, talk talk to the kids!!
- Read, read, read to the kids!
- Provide a print rich environment (and try not to get imagery to ovettake the print component). This includes what he terms captive reading, e.g when theyre on the toilet, using the door. Adam gave his kids instructions in minority language with a hidden prize
- Introduce a monolingual stuffed toy
- Wordless picture books for the freedom of words
- In order to sustain daily homework, make up silly sentences
Additional resources:
Bilingual Monkeys and Bilingual Zoo
Now I'm reading but Nora Gaydos
Phonics book - Spectrum series from Carson Dellosa Publishing Group
Tell tales fairy tales cards
Multilingual parenting.com
Games for reading and games for writing by Peggy Kaye
Bilingual: life and reality, by Francois Grosjean
Trilingualmama.com
Trilingualchildren.com
March 11, 2020
I found reading this comforting in that the author's situation and mine (my future one, anyway) are similar and I could relate to his situation. He writes well, and the book has a very personal tone with lots of stories from his experience. In terms of takeaways, I kept a google doc open while reading to jot down little ideas and concepts and ended up with a good page that I'll keep for reference. That said, I think this book could've been about a third shorter if you cut out the redundancy of the point he makes that consistent, persistent exposure and effort is required and it's hard but worth it. I ended up doing a fair bit of skimming as I progressed and I don't think I missed much. Still, glad I have this as a resource and I'd recommend it to others looking to raise bilingual kids. [3.5 stars, but who cares about stars]
December 9, 2021
I could not finish this book, and would not recommend it to anyone, ever.
The author is longwinded and repetitive.
In fact, I'll rephrase that last sentence to mimic the Author's writing style:
Adam Beck, the author of this book, will often take the least traveled road that would —perhaps unwillingly— take him into spirals of unnecessary soliloquy until he inevitably arrives to the predictable destination. He will fill pages with fluff with little to say. Let me use an example. In Japan, each New Year celebrates long relay races called "ekiden", with teams of runners travelling great distances that are often televised. He writes as if he was a member of one of these teams, even though the distance he needed to travel was actually not that long. In other words, he runs a marathon when only a sprint is required. Did I mention he is longwinded?
The author is longwinded and repetitive.
In fact, I'll rephrase that last sentence to mimic the Author's writing style:
Adam Beck, the author of this book, will often take the least traveled road that would —perhaps unwillingly— take him into spirals of unnecessary soliloquy until he inevitably arrives to the predictable destination. He will fill pages with fluff with little to say. Let me use an example. In Japan, each New Year celebrates long relay races called "ekiden", with teams of runners travelling great distances that are often televised. He writes as if he was a member of one of these teams, even though the distance he needed to travel was actually not that long. In other words, he runs a marathon when only a sprint is required. Did I mention he is longwinded?
October 15, 2020
If you are determined to raise your child to be bilingual/multilingual and you don't know where to start - this is a book for you. The book covers all the aspects of the bilingual journey you decided to embark upon - from setting your goals, through adjusting your mindset, finding your resources; all the way to multiple tips and tricks that you can apply in everyday life. Adam provides a unique insight into his own bilingual journey which allows the reader to better understand the aspects covered in particular chapters and gives the book a personal touch often missing from other titles on the subject available on the market.
I am a young (or should I say fresh?) father of a little baby girl and this book allowed me to get my mindset right and better understand what I am about to get into - and it got me even more excited! I highly recommend this book to everyone who would like to start the bilingual journey and is looking for a book touching on all the important aspects on the topic.
I am a young (or should I say fresh?) father of a little baby girl and this book allowed me to get my mindset right and better understand what I am about to get into - and it got me even more excited! I highly recommend this book to everyone who would like to start the bilingual journey and is looking for a book touching on all the important aspects on the topic.
May 23, 2019
It takes work and commitment to help your child become bilingual. My son is half Russian and half English, and I am hopeful that I would be able to share the knowledge of Russian language with him. I loved this book because it showed me the importance of strategy AND flexibility AND everyday efforts. Because of this book iI realized that little decisions that I make every day will either propel my son towards my goal of him being bilingual or the other way around. What I also understood is that ultimately a lot will depend on my son.. so first and foremost I need to create motivation for him to want to speak the minority language (in my case Russian) by raising him with respect and interest about the culture, by creating an attractive circle of Russian speaking friends for him etc.. I am thankful to the author for being so passionate about the cause, and for all the useful tools he shared generously in his book.
January 21, 2019
I loved this book because it has a lot of small tips and tactics on what you can do as a parent to give your children the gift of bilingualism. The book is structured in two parts: Perspectives & Principles. Perspectives are “ways of thinking”; ideas and ground rules for raising bilingual children and Principles are “ways of acting”; methods and applications that would allow you to enrich your children’s language abilities. Although at times I felt like some of the ideas were being repeated, overall I thought it was very useful. Read my full review in my blog: https://wanderingcharacters.wordpress...
August 6, 2019
This book has great advice for raising a bilingual child. The author does not try to make any illusions about it being easy, but there's a lot of practical advice and motivation to keep you on the right track on making your child or children better speakers in another language. I can also relate to it personally, since both he and I are English speaking fathers raising children in Japan.
Even if you aren't in the exact same situation, the advice can be applied to whatever language you want your child to learn. Highly recommended.
Even if you aren't in the exact same situation, the advice can be applied to whatever language you want your child to learn. Highly recommended.
March 30, 2020
Must read book for every parent raising the bilingual children. As I live in the same country as the author does, it was very interesting to read about the same obstacles as I am sure I would ultimately face in the future.
For us majority language is Japanese as well, and even though I am not bilingual by birth, I do have pretty extensive knowledge of English, close enough to native, and want my child to be able to speak it as the second language, and my native - Russian as the third.
We have a very long journey before us , but thanks to this book I can preliminary map it out.
For us majority language is Japanese as well, and even though I am not bilingual by birth, I do have pretty extensive knowledge of English, close enough to native, and want my child to be able to speak it as the second language, and my native - Russian as the third.
We have a very long journey before us , but thanks to this book I can preliminary map it out.
January 16, 2021
I love the idea of this book. Tips of how to raise bilingual kids.
The book is really a bunch of blogs which have been loosely compiled together into 2 themes. The takeaways are mostly high level (i.e, "you need to think long term") with a few gems. It is more of a book to start the conversation of how to raise bilingual kids than a manual or guide to how to do so.
I would have been happier if the entire book was summarized in one longer blog.
The book is really a bunch of blogs which have been loosely compiled together into 2 themes. The takeaways are mostly high level (i.e, "you need to think long term") with a few gems. It is more of a book to start the conversation of how to raise bilingual kids than a manual or guide to how to do so.
I would have been happier if the entire book was summarized in one longer blog.
January 19, 2019
This book has helped our family like no other. Thanks to authors many tips and strategies (I have to admit I took a less orthodox approach, though) I was able to make my daughter say there first words and sentences in the minority language! This is simply the number one book for parents, who want to raise their children bilingually.
February 13, 2019
Reading this book marked the beginning of my being a lot more mindful about raising my children to speak both English and Japanese. Beck's stories, parenting advice, and language teaching expertise are indispensable. I strongly recommend this book and its companion website/ bilingual parenting forum, http://bilingualzoo.com.
July 22, 2019
The book gives so much more than just some words and ideas on how to raise a bilingual child. It gives you motivation whenever you pick it up, guidence in a time of despair, an insight of how it looks like in a normal biligual family and a warm feeling to know you are not alone. It's a joy to read!! The topics are simple yet great for raising a child. Would recommend it to anyone!
October 2, 2019
Ideas muy válidas y con sugerencias y modos de pensar que ayudarán a cualquier padre que se enfrenta al desafío enorme de enseñar una lengua minoritaria a sus hijos. En momentos repetitivo y pudo haber sido más conciso en algunas partes pero es un gran y necesario libro para padres de niños bilingües.
February 29, 2020
2 stars. It is impressive how many different ways the author has found to say essentially the same things, and how often they are repeated. There are some good ideas in here, but wading through the needless text is unpleasant. A book a tenth the size would have done a much better job getting the points across. Still worth reading, I’d say – just be prepared to skip a lot.
October 16, 2020
This was useful, but a) a little long and repetitive, and b) a bit intense. It seemed like the #1 thing he cared about for his children was their language ability!! But at the same time, I appreciated his comment that the time-intensive process of inculcating biligualism in children also results in a lot of quality time spent with them.
February 17, 2018
(also posted on amazon)
Adam brings us this book with his perspective as both a language educator and a parent in the trenches, living the experience alongside us. As Adam explains the pros and cons of his family’s language situation, the reader can draw parallels with his own situation, to see the favorable and less favorable conditions for his child’s bilingualism and form a plan of attack.
He separates the book into two distinct sections: “Perspectives” and “Principles” – making it clear that our feelings about and dedication to the bilingual journey will inevitably shape our actions and our success. Adam is clear about the importance of the early childhood years. He encourages us to have realistic goals and to pursue them. Unlike some books on second language acquisition, Adam gives us concrete ways to expand our children’s progress and to keep our motivation high. Throughout the book, he emphasizes the importance of our actions each day. He encourages us to find a balance so we don’t neglect our children’s bilingual development in favor of more urgent, but less important, matters.
Adam’s book is comprehensive. He goes beyond nuts and bolts to our emotions, passion, motivations, and frustrations. His anecdotes and illustrations keep the book light and readable for every parent. He has a unique way of encouraging parents throughout the book, and tells us that every parent can be successful at raising a bilingual child. He even offers personal encouragement to any parent feeling alone in this journey.
Adam takes a long, broad view of bilingual development, focusing on its importance while never losing sight of the most important thing: family relationships. He also covers the intrinsic value of bilingual ability, beyond its familial value. Adam manages to fill this book with good advice, principles, strategies, and encouragement, yet doesn’t demand that every family fit into a fixed mold. He encourages flexibility, and suggests each family aim to meet its own objectives. This is encouraging to the parent who may find it impossible to adhere to a strict “one person, one language” or “minority language at home” policy. Adam tells us all is not lost if we continue working strategically toward our realistic goals, and create good habits.
If you are a parent looking to raise your child with two or more languages, and need some encouragement as well as some concrete suggestions to help you along the way, look no further. This is the book you need. Then once you’ve read it, check out Adam’s blog or join the forum for even more great ideas and a community of people with the same goal for their children.
Adam brings us this book with his perspective as both a language educator and a parent in the trenches, living the experience alongside us. As Adam explains the pros and cons of his family’s language situation, the reader can draw parallels with his own situation, to see the favorable and less favorable conditions for his child’s bilingualism and form a plan of attack.
He separates the book into two distinct sections: “Perspectives” and “Principles” – making it clear that our feelings about and dedication to the bilingual journey will inevitably shape our actions and our success. Adam is clear about the importance of the early childhood years. He encourages us to have realistic goals and to pursue them. Unlike some books on second language acquisition, Adam gives us concrete ways to expand our children’s progress and to keep our motivation high. Throughout the book, he emphasizes the importance of our actions each day. He encourages us to find a balance so we don’t neglect our children’s bilingual development in favor of more urgent, but less important, matters.
Adam’s book is comprehensive. He goes beyond nuts and bolts to our emotions, passion, motivations, and frustrations. His anecdotes and illustrations keep the book light and readable for every parent. He has a unique way of encouraging parents throughout the book, and tells us that every parent can be successful at raising a bilingual child. He even offers personal encouragement to any parent feeling alone in this journey.
Adam takes a long, broad view of bilingual development, focusing on its importance while never losing sight of the most important thing: family relationships. He also covers the intrinsic value of bilingual ability, beyond its familial value. Adam manages to fill this book with good advice, principles, strategies, and encouragement, yet doesn’t demand that every family fit into a fixed mold. He encourages flexibility, and suggests each family aim to meet its own objectives. This is encouraging to the parent who may find it impossible to adhere to a strict “one person, one language” or “minority language at home” policy. Adam tells us all is not lost if we continue working strategically toward our realistic goals, and create good habits.
If you are a parent looking to raise your child with two or more languages, and need some encouragement as well as some concrete suggestions to help you along the way, look no further. This is the book you need. Then once you’ve read it, check out Adam’s blog or join the forum for even more great ideas and a community of people with the same goal for their children.
August 29, 2017
This book is a receipt to achieve success in raising bilingual child. It consists of two parts. The first reveals all relevant information parents should know or should be aware of when making a decision to introduce child to a second language. The second one proposes solutions that can help to achieve one’s goal. This book is all about motivation and to be honest information included could be applied to any goal the reader wants to achieve.
If you want to be successful with anything you have to work hard, you have to practice. Small steps, day after day sum up, so that after a certain period of time you realize that daily efforts paid off. Raising a bilingual child, when you are only one person who speaks minority language is not an easy task. Majority language is everywhere: books, newspapers, adverts, tv, neighbors, people on the street, kindergarten. To fight this giant you have to be properly equipped. You have to be proactive, fight with odds you encounter, foster your child’s language on several levels.
This situation is also more complicated if you have limited time. The reader can get the impression that sometimes it is impossible along with the home chores, but the author thinks that a lot of things can be done. It all depends on your specific family situation. After reading that book you can make a list of things that you should stick to on a daily basis which can increase dramatically the chances that you will have a bilingual child.
The author thinks that bilingual children can change the world. I think he is right. Setting off on a journey with suitcases full of his ideas will definitely: boost your family bounds, your child will be crazy about you, Your child will be smart, more sensitive to other culture and people. Being bilingual gives your child high status. In spite of the fact it is not easy cruise the author says: You are not alone! and encourage you to seek out other families or even contact with the author from who you will be for sure greatly reassured.
If you want to be successful with anything you have to work hard, you have to practice. Small steps, day after day sum up, so that after a certain period of time you realize that daily efforts paid off. Raising a bilingual child, when you are only one person who speaks minority language is not an easy task. Majority language is everywhere: books, newspapers, adverts, tv, neighbors, people on the street, kindergarten. To fight this giant you have to be properly equipped. You have to be proactive, fight with odds you encounter, foster your child’s language on several levels.
This situation is also more complicated if you have limited time. The reader can get the impression that sometimes it is impossible along with the home chores, but the author thinks that a lot of things can be done. It all depends on your specific family situation. After reading that book you can make a list of things that you should stick to on a daily basis which can increase dramatically the chances that you will have a bilingual child.
The author thinks that bilingual children can change the world. I think he is right. Setting off on a journey with suitcases full of his ideas will definitely: boost your family bounds, your child will be crazy about you, Your child will be smart, more sensitive to other culture and people. Being bilingual gives your child high status. In spite of the fact it is not easy cruise the author says: You are not alone! and encourage you to seek out other families or even contact with the author from who you will be for sure greatly reassured.
August 31, 2017
Do you want to raise your child with two (or more) languages? Are you looking for concrete advice, tips and tricks?
What to do when your child answers in the majority language only? Are you the only minority language speaker in your child's environment? Your child is enrolled in a majority language school and there's little time for the minority language? You feel overwhelmed and alone?
Adam's book offers ideas and resources for all those situations and more. You are not alone, and this book will motivate you to persevere in the face of obstacles (whether they are time, energy, lack of resources, the child's lack of enthusiasm...) and give you many ideas how to (re)kindle your child's interest in the minority language.
Adam is the minority language father of two bilingual children, and his advice stems from his own experience as a father and as a teacher at an international school, as well as from his extensive network of bilingual families around the world.
In short, this book is a must-read for parents who want to raise their children with more than one language.
What to do when your child answers in the majority language only? Are you the only minority language speaker in your child's environment? Your child is enrolled in a majority language school and there's little time for the minority language? You feel overwhelmed and alone?
Adam's book offers ideas and resources for all those situations and more. You are not alone, and this book will motivate you to persevere in the face of obstacles (whether they are time, energy, lack of resources, the child's lack of enthusiasm...) and give you many ideas how to (re)kindle your child's interest in the minority language.
Adam is the minority language father of two bilingual children, and his advice stems from his own experience as a father and as a teacher at an international school, as well as from his extensive network of bilingual families around the world.
In short, this book is a must-read for parents who want to raise their children with more than one language.
February 23, 2018
The book was divided into "Perspectives" and "Principles." The perspectives half was cheesy and not as helpful as I had hoped. The Principles half, however, was more helpful with practical tips and a helpful push towards a commitment + perseverance in fostering a bilingual home for our child. More determined to stick to the "minority language at home" approach (studied to be the most successful approach!)
- Heighten a sense of "need" to communicate in the minority language
- Bombard the home with (physical) books of the minority language
- Exposure exposure exposure + engage, ask questions, make up stories
- Find creative & age-appropriate ways for the child to enjoy and get accustomed to the language
- When old enough (~4) create a homework routine in the minority language so that it becomes a near non-negotiable and the child can practice reading + writing as they continue their education in the majority language
- Heighten a sense of "need" to communicate in the minority language
- Bombard the home with (physical) books of the minority language
- Exposure exposure exposure + engage, ask questions, make up stories
- Find creative & age-appropriate ways for the child to enjoy and get accustomed to the language
- When old enough (~4) create a homework routine in the minority language so that it becomes a near non-negotiable and the child can practice reading + writing as they continue their education in the majority language
January 14, 2025
Some good tips, lots of repetition (not necessarily a bad thing,since repitions legitimizes), very concrete. For example, he rarely writes things like ' give your kids opportunities to read English' without a plethora of examples like ' post riddles on the doors, leave them notes in their lunchboxes, have them write letters to their grandparents'. I especially liked the principle of showing your child the value of the minority langauges not just for themselves, but for the community... in his case,his kids volunteer in the Hiroshima nuclear bombing museum and practice their English that way. Of course it'll be years before that sort of thing is relevant, but the mindset is really helpful.
Also includes a good list of resources, and the whole book is written with sweet personal details.
Anyway, this dude is way more hardcore than I ever want to be, but then, I'm not trying to raise two English speaking children in Japan.
Also includes a good list of resources, and the whole book is written with sweet personal details.
Anyway, this dude is way more hardcore than I ever want to be, but then, I'm not trying to raise two English speaking children in Japan.
October 12, 2023
This book was very helpful. I appreciated how the author doesn’t shy away from being honest about the difficult reality of raising bilingual children, especially to those families who are not sending their children to school in the minority language nor have a native speaker in the home. This helped me set a realistic goal for my family. I appreciated the practical ideas, particularly the captive reading. My one complaint is that the book does get repetitive. I felt like the length could’ve been shortened significantly as I felt I was reading the same thing multiple times near the end. But, I would still recommend to those desiring to order their lives in such a way to promote learning a second language.
September 20, 2024
I am disappointed in this book, it is quite repetitive and most points are quite obvious.
I also feel the author was overly anxious to an obsessive level on pushing his kids to be bilingual, while he was not setting a good example himself to his kids by not improving his Japanese that he said his Japanses was not good and his wife's English was not good either. Maybe that's partially the reason why he was overly obsessive on the bilingual journal with his kids because he wanted to communicate on the soul level with his kids and he could not do that with his wife due to language barriers.
That being said, the useful parts of the books are the bilingual success rate research he quoted and the 'read aloud' strategy.
I also feel the author was overly anxious to an obsessive level on pushing his kids to be bilingual, while he was not setting a good example himself to his kids by not improving his Japanese that he said his Japanses was not good and his wife's English was not good either. Maybe that's partially the reason why he was overly obsessive on the bilingual journal with his kids because he wanted to communicate on the soul level with his kids and he could not do that with his wife due to language barriers.
That being said, the useful parts of the books are the bilingual success rate research he quoted and the 'read aloud' strategy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews