Growing Up With Two Languages: A Practical Guide (review)

Written by a couple raising their children to speak English and Swedish in Sweden, this book offers plenty of practical advice on how to raise children to be bilingual. It is primarily aimed at readers who are unacquainted with bilingualism and attempts to get rid of some common myths surrounding bilingualism.

The book stresses the parents’ responsibilities in raising their child to be bilingual: It is important to map out a plan prior to the birth of the child, and the authors encourage the parents to stick to it once the child is born. They also remind parents to be realistic in their expectations and to realize that children do not fit a mold, i.e. what works for other children does not necessarily have to work for their own. Parents should also realize that a child will never be equally and completely fluent in both languages. Sometimes, a child may even refuse to speak one of the languages altogether, especially at an older age. For such cases, some coping mechanisms are offered. Not only does a bilingual upbringing require more of the parents, it also demands a lot of effort on the child’s part. This child is required to double the task of a monolingual child. The authors stress, however, that children are quick learners and that one should be aware that children possess language acquisition skills that are different from those of adults.

The book includes many personal accounts from parents all over the world who are raising their children with two languages. Most of the testimonies are from parents who did so successfully, and this in itself is encouraging. Unfortunately, it does not contain accounts from adults who were themselves raised bilingually.

This how-to book is primarily intended for parents- to-be whose everyday life includes two languages. It does not contain any linguistic jargon. I would recommend it to any future parents in this situation and to public lending libraries.