This book pioneers the study of bilingualism across the lifespan and in all its diverse forms.

The study of bilingualism unfolds against a varied backdrop of sociocultural and sociopolitical factors. While the nature of bilingualism and multilingualism has often been misunderstood, the bilingual community is a dynamic and ever-growing part of the global population.

In framing the newest research within a lifespan perspective, the editors highlight the importance of considering an individual's age — from infancy to late adulthood — when researching how bilingualism affects language acquisition and cognitive development. Four major topics are explored:

early bilingualism
factors affecting bilingualism across the lifespan
academic achievement and literacy in bilinguals
cognitive effects of bilingualism

A key theme is the variability among bilinguals, which may be due to a host of individual and sociocultural factors, including the degree to which bilingualism is or is not valued in each country and context. This book is a call for language researchers, psychologists, and educators to pursue and promote a better understanding of bilingualism in our increasingly multicultural society.