The Bilingual Revolution

Description

Conceived as a practical, accessible « how to » guide, The Bilingual Revolution is the story of a movement to bring dual language education to public schools told through the eyes of founding parents and educators. These pioneering mothers, fathers, teachers, and principals share the belief that bilingual education can positively transform a child, a school, a community, and even a country.

Although the roots of bilingual education in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century, a new push to embrace heritage languages, produce bilingual global citizens, and create a cultural sense of community is taking the education sector by storm. New York City provides the backdrop for the book, where parents have fought for access to various bilingual public school programs from preschool to high school. Similar programs have developed in hundreds of cities in the United States and around the world.

The Bilingual Revolution tells the story of successes and setbacks of parents and educators through vignettes that yield practical advice. In their diversity, these portraits paint a picture of a viable 21st-century solution to preserve linguistic heritage and to raise a generation of young bilingual, biliterate, multicultural citizens of the world. The book will inspire and engage readers who want to create their own bilingual programs.

Being bilingual can become the new norm and it starts with our youth and our education systems. A bilingual revolution for the common good is already underway.

Cover Artwork by Raymond Verdaguer

About the author

Nicknamed the “Godfather of Language immersion programs” by the New York Times, Fabrice Jaumont has more than 25 years of experience in international education and the development of multilingual programs. In spearheading what has been dubbed the “Bilingual Revolution” in New York, Jaumont has put his expertise at the service of the French, Italian, Japanese, German, and Russian communities by helping them to develop quality bilingual programs in their local public schools.

 Praises

The book stands on the edge of the nascent bilingual revolution running through the U.S. school system
—Conor Williams,  New America’s Education Policy Program

 A “how to” manual for setting up your own bilingual school and in so doing creating your own revolution.
—Dr. Ellen Bialystok, Chair in Lifespan Cognitive Development, York University

This masterpiece will be indispensable for parents and educational leaders in the USA and abroad.
—Bill Rivers, Joint National Committee on Languages – National Council for Language & International Studies

The Bilingual Revolution is must-read for every parent, every teacher, every administrator interested in creating and supporting best dual language programs for the 21st Century.
—Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, Dean of Education, UCLA

 [This] powerful book…shows how empowering multilingual education can be for our youth, showcasing a very promising trend in the United States.
—Bruno Bich, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, BIC Group