Reviews

Endorsement for The Multilingual Mind By David Pollock
Executive Director, Interaction International
Inc. co-author of The Third Culture Kid: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds, contributor to "Strangers at Home" edited by Carolyn Smith, "Notations from a Traveling Childhood" edited by Karen McCluskey, " Fitted Pieces" edited by Janet Blomberg and David Brooks, "Raising Resilient MKs" edited by Joyce Bowers.

Dear Ms. Garry,

I am sending the following response to the manuscript "The Multi-Lingual Mind" by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa. I have just completed carefully reading the manuscript and I am absolutely delighted in anticipating that there will be a book that I can place in the hands of parents and educators that responds clearly to the challenge of multi-lingualism in its various contexts. I found that the manuscript accomplished a multitude of purposes. First of all, it gave perspective to parents who are facing the challenge of multi-lingual education and exposure. It created a sense of hope for successful learning and significant development. Secondly, it gave permission to parents, whether in a mono or multi-lingual setting, to work at goals of developing multi-lingual capacities in their children. Thirdly, there were chapters and elements in almost all of the essays that underlined the purpose of the multi-lingual development in helping individuals to become more cosmopolitan and prepared to live in the 21st century. Many of the chapters gave specific plans of what to do in responding to the opportunities for multi-culturalism and ultimately there was a sense of peace that many parents will have about this particular issue that has raised so many questions and collected such mythology that has been confusing and discouraging. Tracey has done all of us a great service in pulling these authors with personal experience and academic credentials together to speak with clarity to the issues of the multi-lingual mind. Thank you and thank her.

If you would like me to take any other direction in writing an endorsement please let me know and I will be happy to rethink and rephrase the above content to fit the purposes that you have in mind.

Finally, the publisher has my permission to use my words for promotional purposes. Dr. David Pollock, Executive Director, Interaction International Inc. co-author of The Third Culture Kid: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds, contributor to "Strangers at Home" edited by Carolyn Smith, "Notations from a Traveling Childhood" edited by Karen McCluskey, " Fitted Pieces" edited by Janet Blomberg and David Brooks, "Raising Resilient MKs" edited by Joyce Bowers.

Sincerely,
Dave Pollock

Endorsement by Barbara F. Schaetti, Ph.D.

• As I read the essays in Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa’s latest book, The Multilingual Mind, I found myself both intellectually engaged and personally reflective. She and her contributing authors have crafted an impressive exploration not only of multilingualism itself – what it is and how to cultivate it in school and home – but also of the linkages between multilingualism and, for example, creativity, globalization, and identity. Each author comes to his or her topic through personal experience as well as academic and professional attention, and their common passion for multilingualism shines forth throughout. Their summative message is clear: multilingualism is complex, the strategies for individuals, families, and educators perhaps complicated, but oh! – how rich it is!

Raised multilingually myself, I necessarily related much of what I read to my own life experience. The circumstances of my childhood allowed a relatively effortless multilingualism to result, one which, however, the circumstances of my adulthood have made it difficult to maintain. Admitting unequal fluency, I have disallowed myself the identity of multilingualism; Tokuhama-Espinosa’s book liberates me from this narrow definition and allows a more complete honoring of the particular shape my multilingualism takes. At the same time, it calls forth my commitment to give my less-used languages (and those aspects of myself which they communicate) more time in the light of day. As I think of the children in my life, nephews and friends alike, I regret those who are growing up monolingual and celebrate those already able to build relationships in two and three and four languages. Again, how rich it is.

The Multilingual Mind is an important resource for anyone interested in the latest thinking on the topic. Warm and welcoming, it offers guidance and insight to parents, teachers, and multilingual adults alike, as well as to monolinguals who may choose to engage this adventure we call multilingualism.

Endorsement From Pilar Cabeza de Vaca Head, The American School in Paris:

"The Multilingual Mind offers a realistic and very pragmatic approach to multilingualism. This book is a wonderful tool for both parents and teachers and affirms what research and experience tell us about people's ability to learn languages. This work should become part of the educational mainstream, as learning languages opens us to becoming more culturally sensitive, a skill that is essential in today's globalized world."