Input and Experience in Bilingual Development

Children acquiring two languages, either simultaneously or sequentially, have more variation in their linguistic input than their monolingual peers. Understanding the nature and consequences of this variability has been the focus of much recent research on childhood bilingualism. This volume constitutes the first collection of research solely dedicated to the topic of input in childhood bilingualism. Chapters represent a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of childhood bilingualism, covering a variety of language combinations and sociocultural contexts in Europe, Israel, North and South America. As a reflection of the field’s current understanding of the intricate relationship between experience and development in children growing up with two or more languages, this volume will be of interest to scholars and practitioners working with bi- and multilingual learners in various sociolinguistic and educational contexts.

Kate Riestenberg, Georgetown University, on Linguist List 27.676, 2016:
Overall, the chapters of Input and Experience in Bilingual Development cohere and complement each other quite nicely. Although the chapters do not all follow the same template, they each contribute different insights relevant to the theme. The major strength of the volume is its critical look at the measures traditionally used to study input and experience, on the one hand, and bilingual development on the other hand.