Over the past few years bilingualism has come to be seen not as a hindrance, but as an asset which, properly nurtured, will benefit children’s linguistic awareness, cultural sensitivity and cognitive functioning. ‘Bilingualism in the Primary School’ gives primary teachers a window on the experience of the bilingual children in their care. It helps them to make the most of what the children and their parents have to offer, giving those children a good start in the National Curriculum. Many of the contributors to the book are themselves bilingual and are thus able to understand the children’s experience from within, but they are also particularly careful to show monolingual teachers how to make use of children’s mother tongue experience. This book is based throughout on rich case study material of individual children at various stages on the bilingual spectrum.
R. W. Mills and J. Mills