Becoming bilingual is one thing—staying bilingual is another. Bilingual children have social, cultural and economic opportunities available to them that would otherwise be out of reach. For many families, speaking at least one language other than English at home is already a given—more than 51 million people in the U.S. alone live in multilingual homes. But what about when bilingual children go to English-speaking schools and are expected to thrive in a primarily monolingual English-speaking community? How do families maintain a balance and help their children to grow and develop in more than one language?
In Bilingual By Choice, Virginie Raguenaud guides parents on how to introduce a second language to their children. She also provides insights, resources, and activities for raising children that will go on to become bilingual adults. This book is the first of its kind to address bilingualism from the cradle to adolescence. Raguenaud uses practical strategies and techniques for any family or instructor to ensure that kids stay engaged and active in every language available to them. By using creativity, consistency and commitment in the classroom (as well as the living room), teaching children a second language can be fun as well as beneficial.
Praise for Bilingual By Choice:
“Virginie Raguenaud is bilingual by choice and wants her children to be so, too. Bravo, Virginie, for showing us the way to helping our children retain their language heritage as they grow. Get this book—and get one for each of your friends and family members, too!”
--Joshua A. Fishman, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Social Sciences, Yeshiva University, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at Stanford University
"An amazing book--exactly what countless parents in our globalizing world have been looking for! As more and more bicultural and bilingual families form, the issues Virginie Raguenaud addresses become increasingly urgent. Not only does she dispel common anxiety producing myths, but she also gives clear, practical ways for how parents can help their children develop fluency in each heritage language."
--Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, co-founder of Families in Global Transition conference
Global nomad and bilingual writer Virginie Raguenaud is a mother of French- and English-speaking twins and is studying to get her Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Relations from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Raguenaud is a member of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), Families in Global Transition (FIGT), and the Society of Intercultural Education, Training, and Research (SIETAR USA). She currently resides in New Hampshire.
