It's no secret that parents want their children to have the lifelong cultural and intellectual advantages that come from being bilingual. Parents spend millions of dollars every year on classes, computer programs, and toys, all of which promise to help children learn a second language. But many of their best efforts (and investments) end in disappointment.

In "The Bilingual Edge," professors and parents King and Mackey wade through the hype and provide clear insights into what actually works. No matter what your language background is--whether you never passed Spanish in high school or you speak Mandarin fluently--King and Mackey will help you:

select the language that will give your child the most benefits

find materials and programs that will assist your child in achieving fluency

identify and use your family's unique traits to maximize learning

Fancy private schools and expensive materials aren't needed. Instead, "The Bilingual Edge" translates the latest research into interactive strategies and quick tips that even the busiest parents can use.

This volume, Research Methods in Language, offers an overview of the wide range of methodological approaches to language and education across the axes of micro and macro-linguistic and social levels of analysis, as well as the multiple connections between them. The four sections each offer *Several reviews of different broad areas or subfields *Articles with a more narrow focus or demonstrating the application of an approach *International scope *Diversity of scholarly perspectives The resultant breadth and depth of theoretical and methodological research perspective makes this a unique and highly valuable resource. This is one of ten volumes of the Encyclopedia of Language and Education published by Springer. The Encyclopedia bears testimony to the dynamism and evolution of the language and education field, as it confronts the ever-burgeoning and irrepressible linguistic diversity and ongoing pressures and expectations placed on education around the world.