Power, Prestige and Bilingualism

Anne-Marie de Mejía works in the Linguistics Department of the School of Language Sciences at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia where she is currently co-ordinator of the Bilingualism Research Group.  She obtained her Ph.D in Linguistics from Lancaster University (U.K.) in 1994.  Her research interests include bilingual classroom interaction, the construction of bilingual curricula and processes of empowerment, and bilingual teacher development.

• ForewordIntroductionAcknowledgementsPart 1 General Perspectives and Issues1 Elite Bilingualism as a World-wide Phenomenon2 Definitions and Distinctions3 Elite Bilingualism as a Sociocultural Phenomenon4 Teaching and Learning in Elite Bilingual Classrooms5 Relationships and Participants in Elite Bilingual Educational Processes6 Research Traditions and Trends, Partnerships and Empowerment in Elite Bilingual Educational ContextsPart 2 Overview of Elite Bilingual Provision in Specific Contexts of Implementation7 Africa: Multilingualism, Vernaculars, Intra- and International Languages8 South America: From Provision for Expatriates to Bilingual Education for Host Country Nationals9 Asia: ‘Languages of the Head and Languages of the Heart’10 Europe: Prestige Languages and International Communication11 Oceania: Immersion in Languages Other than English12 The Discourse of Elite Bilingual Education: A Critical Analysis13 Common Problem Areas in the Practice of Bilingual Pedagogy in Elite Educational Contexts14 Conclusions and Future Perspectives on Practice and Research in Elite Bilingual EducationReferencesIndex

De Mejia’s book is undoubtedly an exceptionally thought-provoking and stimulating reading…. an innovative work that raises many questions about a new interesting field of research on bilingualism and education. It is a highly recommended book which deserves to be read carefully by scholars, language planners, teachers and parents.