Publisher's Synopsis
"This accessible volume presents an up-to-date overview of how young children, older youth, and adults develop multilingual proficiencies. Importantly, it highlights an assets view of linguistic diversity, offering clear recognition that multilingual competencies are both functional and highly valued in diverse communities. Dispelling common myths, it explores the benefits of multilingualism spanning interpersonal, academic, and professional settings and with these in mind, provides practical information on how professionals can foster multilingual development. Each chapter comes equipped with a series of true or false statements where you can record your predictions and learn as you read. Chapters cover topics including the economic and cognitive benefits of multilingualism, social influences, the age factor, family bilingualism and optimal teaching and learning conditions. Finally, the book concludes by providing various instructional
