Bilingualism Matters
Language Learning Across the Lifespan

Written in an accessible style, this is a comprehensive yet concise guide to bilingualism for both scholars and general readers.

Maria Garraffa (Author), Antonella Sorace (Author), Maria Vender (Author), John W. Schwieter (Translated by), John W. Schwieter (With)

9781009333368, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 July 2023

147 pages
21.6 x 14 x 0.9 cm, 0.21 kg

'Bilingualism Matters is an excellent resource for teachers, parents and researchers interested in bilingualism to access research from a neuroscience perspective to support their work. I will draw on this resource to advocate for bilingual programs, and to support my social science research with interdisciplinary evidence. I recommend this book to anyone seeking an accessible resource which summarises key neuroscience findings in relation to bilingualism across the lifespan.' Ruth Fielding, Monash University

What happens in the brain when learning a second language? Can speaking more than one language provide cognitive benefits over a lifetime? What implications does an increase in bilingualism have for society? And what are the factors that can promote and support bilingualism in children and adults? This book – a translated and adapted version of Il Cervello Bilingue (2020) - answers these questions and more, providing the reader with a comprehensive yet concise guide on different topics related to bilingualism. Based on the results of the most recent studies conducted internationally, it discusses recent research findings, explains terminology, and elaborates on the current state of the field, with the aim of providing families and society with suggestions about how to encourage bilingualism. Written in an engaging and accessible style, it takes both academics and readers with no prior knowledge of the field on a journey into the bilingual brain.

1. Who is bilingual?
2. The development of two languages: phonology, lexicon, and morphosyntax
3. Bilingualism across the lifespan
4. Two languages in one brain
5. Bilingualism and atypical development
6. Bilingualism and society
Glossary.

Subject Areas: Linguistics [CF]