Today is International Translation Day which is celebrated every year on September 30 to show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation profession in different countries. This is an opportunity to display pride in a profession that is becoming increasingly essential in the era of progressing globalization.
To mark this day, I have decided to give my new book for free both in its original English and its French ebook editions for everyone who will contribute to The Bilingual Revolution’s Adopt a Translation campaign. The campaign’s goal is to translate The Bilingual Revolution in 8 languages: Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.This offer is valid until 11/04/17.
In offering these translations, I want to reflect the various dual language programs and linguistic communities that have fought to gain dual-language education in their school. In doing so, I want to help other communities in the United States and elsewhere follow in their lead and create their own dual-language program. Also, I do hope my book will help raise awareness about the advantages of dual language education, and inspire a few people to create programs in their own countries.
Through my research, as well as my professional and personal experiences, I have found that children who have had a bilingual upbringing enjoy numerous benefits beyond the acquisition of another language, including a better appreciation of other cultures, other individuals, and even oneself. Additionally, I have come to believe that the cognitive, emotional, and social advantages of being bilingual, biliterate, and multicultural should be accessible to everyone. In my opinion, dual-language education is a universal good that ought to be developed everywhere, as it can positively transform a child, a family, a school, a community, and even a country.
Fabrice Jaumont