Bilingualism or Not : The Education of Minorities

Contents: Preface. Translators note. Introduction to the English edition. Introduction to this edition. 1. Something about language. 2. What is a Mother Tongue? 3. Two 'languages'. 4. What is Bilingualism? 5. Different aspects of Bilingualism - Dichotomies. 6. Planning the education of prospective Bilinguals. 7. How can a child become Bilingual with the help of school and family? 8. How is Bilingualism measured? 9. Bilingualism, cognitive development and school achievement. 10. Double Semilingualism - does it exist. 11. The function of immigration - a comparison between different countries. 12. Violence and minority education. Bibliography.

"This book deals with Bilingualism, particularly as it relates to migrant minorities and indigenous peoples. People from (linguistic) minorities often have to become multilingual in order to cope in the larger society, while majority representatives may voluntarily become Bilingual. The book begins with a "purely" linguistic coverage of Bilingualism and then deals with the prerequisites and consequences of Bilingualism from the perspectives of psychology and pedagogy. It then moves on from the family and the school to international comparisons of societies with different minority policies. It also analyses controversies about the education of migrant minorities and indigenous people and places them in the wider political context."