Everything you wanted to know about teaching your child another language: The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language by Kendall King, PhD and Alison Mackey, PhD.

So you want your child to learn another language? But you aren't sure which language or when to start? So many questions, so many conflicting answers.

The Bilingual Edge by Kendall King, PhD and Alison Mackey, PhD. is a book you must read - if you want your child to learn more than one language. Think it can't be done? Perhaps you believe that children who learn their native language at home, then learn English as a second language may never become fully proficient in either language.

 
Many people believe such myths, say King and Mackey. But they are just that - myths.

Read on. King and Mackey dispel myths that people have about language learning. Schools of thought have gone from one side to the other in recent decades. I remember when people seemed to believe that a child could learn language most easily when they were about five years of age. That was about 40 years ago.

Fast forward a few decades to the prevailing wisdom which states that children who spoke more than one language never became as proficient in either language.

Fast forward again to now. King and Mackey present evidence that debunks these earlier myths.

 
Below are the 10 most common myths about learning a language, as King and Mackey have reported in their book, The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to teach Your Child a Second Language.

Myths (Page 18)

1. "Only bilingual parents can raise bilingual children and bilingual parents always raise bilingual children.

1. I'm too late! You have to start very early for second language learning or you will miss the boat.

1. Only native speakers and teachers can teach children second languages.

1. Children who are raised in the same family will have the same language skills as one another.

1. It's important to correct error as soon as they appear in grammar and vocabulary  (to prevent the formation of bad habits).

1. Exposing my child to two language means she will be a late talker.

1. Mixing languages is a sign of confusion and languages must stay separate (one parent-one-language parenting is the best way).

1. Television DVD and edutainment, like talking toys are great ways to pick up language.

1. Bilingual education programs are for non-English speakers.

1. Two languages are the most to which a very young child should be exposed."

All of these myths are wrong, simply wrong. 

Another section: The Real Deal on the Top Ten Myths About Second Language Learning -  corrects these myths.  (Page 33)

1. "Any parent can raise a child who knows more than one language, even if that parent is monolingual (all children can learn a second language even if their parents don't know that language).

1. It is never too lage and younger is not always better in every way.

1.  Rich, dynamic, and meaningful interaction is critical and more important than having a perfect native-speaker model.

1.  For lots of different reasons, children reared within the same home can end up with very different language skills from one another.

1. Constantly correcting errors can do more harm than good.

1.  Learning two languages is not a cause of language delay.

1. Most children go through a period of language mixing (it's normal!). Strict separation of languages is generally not realistic and not necessary.

1. Children don't learn much language through television or other edutainment items - these should be thought of as supplemental.

1. Bilingual education programs can be beneficial for all children.

1. The more the merrier - learning three languages (or more) is possible!"

There are sections on how to choose which language or languages are best for you and your family, as well as sections on finding materials and programs to help achieve fluency.

You don't need to spend a lot of money - but you will need commitment.

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In my own family, my stepmother and stepbrother came here speaking little English. My stepmother speaks several languages and my father learned three languages as an adult.

I studied Spanish in school but moved to Canada where I was thrust into learning intermediate French. Though my formal training in French was only for one year, living in Montreal for eight years brought my level of proficiency to a more than acceptable level.

I've seen young children come to North America knowing no English but learning more than a dozen phrases within a weekend. I've also seen people who come to North America knowing no English, and in spite of living here for 20 years or so, still speak little English.

As with everything, so much depends on exposure and effort. It's not as difficult as you think!

A must read! 

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The Bilingual Edge: Why, When, and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language by Kendall King, PhD and Alison Mackey, PhD., published by Collins, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 2007. Paperback, 289 pages.
$15.95 US; $19.95 CDN.
ISBN: 978-06-124656-2

Kendall King, Ph.D., and Alison Mackey, Ph.D. are linguistics professors at Georgetown University who have written nearly one hundred articles and books on bilingualism and language teaching methods. King and Mackey are also parents who are teaching their children more than one language.