This encyclopedia is designed to promote bilingualism in a comprehensive and comprehensive manner and to be academically sound while remaining accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Each topic is presented in a clear, understandable style. Four sections focus on the following: (1) "Individual Bilingualism" (e.g., bilingualism and the family, everyday language use of bilinguals, and bilingualism and thinking); (2) "Languages in Society" (e.g., bilingualism in communities, language change, and language maintenance and planning); (3) "Languages in Contact in the World" (Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America); and (4) "Bilingual Education" (e.g., weak and strong forms of bilingual education, the bilingual classroom, multiculturalism in education, and bilingualism and second language learning). Each section contains several topics, and each topic contains some central text, often supplemented and illustrated by textboxes, graphics, and photographs. Frequent examples are provided. (Contains approximately 2,000 references.) (SM)