1st Edition

Introduction to Bilingualism

By Charlotte Hoffmann Copyright 1991
    368 Pages
    by Routledge

    368 Pages
    by Routledge

    An Introduction to Bilingualism provides a comprehensive review of the most important aspects of individual and societal bilingualism, examining both theoretcial and practical issues.

    At the level of the individual, it addresses such questios as: What is involved in the study of bilingual children? What are the patterns of bilingual language acquisition? In which ways do the language competence and the speech of bilinguals differ from those of monolinguals? Topics that sometimes arouse controversy are explored - such as the question of whether there is a relationship between bilingualsim and a child's cognitive, psychological and social development.

    The book is also concerned with multilingualism, that is, bilingualsim as a societal phenomenon. It focuses on such issues as language choice in bilingual and multilingual communities, national identity and the education of bilinguals. The inclusion of several case studies of European linguistic minorities serves to exemplify the topics dealt with at the theoretical level and to illustrate the linguistic complexities found in contemporary Europe.

    Preface
    Introduction
    PART I: PSYCHOLINGUISTICS ASPECTS OF BILINGUALISM
    1. Individual bilingualism
    2. The study of bilingual children
    3. Patterns of bilingual language acquisition
    4. Aspects of bilingual competence
    5. Features of bilingual speech
    6. Cognitive and educational aspects of bilingualism
    7. Sociocultural aspects of bilingualism
    PART II: SOCIOLINGUISTIC ASPECT OF BILINGUALISM
    8. Societal multilingualism
    9. Language choice, language maintenance and language shift
    10. Language and national identity
    11. Linguistic minorities
    12. Case Study I: The Alsatians
    13. Case Study II: The Catalans
    14. Case Study III: Migrant workers in the Federal Republic of Germany
    Appendix
    References
    Subject Index
    Index of places, languages and people
    Author Index
    List of Maps

    Biography

    Charlotte Hoffmann