Bilingualism in the USA: The case of the Chicano-Latino community(44 Studies in Bilingualism)

This text provides an overview of bi- and multilingualism as a worldwide phenomenon. It features comprehensive discussions of many of the linguistic, social, political, and educational issues found in an increasingly multilingual nation and world. To this end, the book takes the Chicano-Latino community of Southern California, where Spanish-English bilingualism has over a century and a half of history, and presents a detailed case study, thereby situating the community in a much broader social context. Spanish is the second most-widely spoken language in the U.S. after English, yet, for the most part, its speakers form a language minority that essentially lacks the social, political, and educational support necessary to derive the many cognitive, socioeconomic, and educational benefits that proficient bilingualism can provide. The issues facing Spanish-English bilinguals in the Los Angeles area are relevant to nearly every bi- and multilingual community irrespective of nation, language, and/or ethnicity.

Table of Contents:
1. Acknowledgments; 2. List of figures; 3. List of tables; 4. Preface; 5. 1. Introduction: Bilingualism as a worldwide phenomenon; 6. 2. Bilingual acquisition and the bilingual individual; 7. 3. Bilingual phenomena in the U.S; 8. 4. Chicano English (ChE); 9. 5. American attitudes to bilingualism; 10. 6. Bilingualism and education; 11. 7. Literacy, biliteracy, and the cognitive effects of schooling; 12. 8. The current state of the Chicano-Latino community; 13. References; 14. Index

Review :
This book is exceptionally well written, well organized, and comprehensive in its discussion of bilingualism and its relationship to the U.S. Chicano-Latino community. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Bilingualism in the USA constitutes a significant contribution to the development of scholarship and research in areas related to bilingualism and bilingual education. It successfully provides an informed response to some long-held popular misunderstandings about language diversity in the United States, taking the Chicano-Latino community in Southern California as a case study. [...] The intended audience for this book is advanced undergraduate and graduate students interested in the broad areas of bilingualism and bilingual education. Because each chapter ends with a series of subsections that promote discussion and critical thinking (activities, topics for discussion & practice essay questions), it would be fairly easy to adopt it as a textbook for a variety of university courses (e.g. Spanish in the US). It would also be an easy read for any non-specialist (e.g. current teachers as well as those considering teaching as a profession) curious enough about language and language diversity since, in spite of the jargon, the author has successfully simplified a topic that is very complex while still treating it in a serious manner. In Bilingualism in the USA: The Case of the Chicano Community, Field walks us through the different dimensions of the extraordinarily complex topic of bilingualism in the United States, taking the Chicano-Latino community as a case study. The book addresses a range of linguistic, attitudinal, and educational issues affecting bilingual phenomena in this community that can be easily extended to other similar communities within the USA and beyond. Although the volume's focus is specific to the Chicano-Latino community, Field manages to provide a very comprehensive account of bilingualism studies in general that is accessible and ambitious in breadth. This makes the volume a very valuable resource for researchers, teachers, and students of bilingualism, linguistics, and education.