The seventh edition of this bestselling textbook has been extensively revised and updated to provide a comprehensive and accessible introduction to bilingualism and bilingual education in an everchanging world. Written in a compact and clear style, the book covers all the crucial issues in bilingualism and multilingualism at individual, group and societal levels. Updates to the new edition include:

• Thoroughly updated chapters with over 500 new citations of the latest research.


• Six chapters with new titles to better reflect their updated content.


• A new Chapter 16 on Deaf-Signing People, Bilingualism/Multilingualism and Bilingual Education.


• The latest demographics and other statistical data.


• Recent developments in and limitations of brain imaging research.


• An expanded discussion of key topics including multilingual education, codeswitching, translanguaging, translingualism, biliteracy, multiliteracies, metalinguistic and morphological awareness, superdiversity, raciolinguistics, anti-racist education, critical post-structural sociolinguistics, language variation, motivation, age effects, power, and neoliberal ideologies.


• Recent US policy developments including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Seal of Biliteracy, Proposition 58, LOOK Act, Native American Languages Preservation Act, and state English proficiency standards and assessments consortia (WIDA, ELPA21).


• New global examples of research, policy, and practice beyond Europe and North America.


• Technology and language learning on the internet and via mobile apps, and multilingual language use on the internet and in social media.

Students and Instructors will benefit from updated chapter features including:

• New bolded key terms corresponding to a comprehensive glossary


• Recommended readings and online resources


• Discussion questions and study activities