Bilingualism Across the Lifespan

Factors Moderating Language Proficiency
Erscheinungsjahr 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4338-2283-4
Verlag: American Psychological Association (APA)

Buch, Englisch, 496 Seiten, Hardback, Format (B × H): 177 mm x 249 mm, Gewicht: 749 g

Reihe: Language and the Human Lifespan Series

The study of bilingualism unfolds against a varied backdrop of sociocultural and sociopolitical factors. While the nature of bilingualism and multilingualism has often been misunderstood, the bilingual community is a dynamic and ever-growing part of the global population.

This book pioneers the study of bilingualism across the lifespan and in all its diverse forms. In framing the newest research within a lifespan perspective, the editors highlight the importance of considering an individual's age – from infancy to late adulthood – when researching how bilingualism affects language acquisition and cognitive development. A key theme of the volume is the variability among bilinguals, which may be due to a host of individual and sociocultural factors.

Five major topics are explored: early bilingualism; factors affecting bilingualism across the lifespan; academic achievement and literacy in bilinguals; and cognitive effects of bilingualism.

While bilingualism is not always valued in the U.S.A. and thus may result in negative outcomes, in other countries and contexts, positive outcomes are common. Thus, this book is a call for language researchers, psychologists, and educators to pursue and promote a better understanding of bilingualism in our increasingly multicultural society.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Nicoladis, Elena

Montanari, Simona

Über Autor(innen)

Elena Nicoladis, PhD, is a professor in the psychology department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Simona Montanari, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, USA.