Bilingual Education

"Bilingual Education: An Introductory Reader" is a welcome addition to the literature, not only for students and administrators, wishing to get an overall view of the field, but also for instructors looking for stimulating (well-founded) course material and for researchers in need of authoritative sources. Readers are offered a carefully designed guided tour through the intricacies of bilingual education, starting with a ‘balanced, comprehensive and challenging set of articles’ (p.viii). All of which can form the basis for further in-depth reading. These articles fulfil a number of functions, ranging from analysing and summarizing important topics, to challenging existing ideas and beliefs and providing fresh and original thinking. This volume offers a ‘hands-on’ approach to consideration of bilingual education, in its various forms around the world. Its special value lies not only in its interactive format, encouraging readers to investigate the issues themselves, but also in its willingness to tackle issues of linguistic and cultural human rights. Bilingual Education thus amply fulfils its ‘Reader’ function, promoting informed participatory debate on the relevant issues, and readers should find it an extremely useful resource-either as a starting point for research, a reference tool, or as a sound course material for professional development

-- Andrew Finch, Kyungpook National University (Korea) and University of Bristol * Baal News Spring 20