A lot of writing on the Internet will propose OPOL (One-parent, one-language) as the best strategy for raising bilingual children. I've written here before about why I believe this is not the case (although it can work in some situations) and now there is research backing up the limitations of this approach. Follow … Continue reading Issues with OPOL? You are not alone!
Raising Bilingual Children: Six building blocks for success (Amsterdam)
Back by popular demand, May 31, 20:00-22:00 at the Jacaranda Tree Montessori in Amsterdam! My “Raising Bilingual Children” seminar is one of my favourites; I’ve been working on it for years, and each family I meet contributes to my understanding on bilingual/multilingual families and adds to my “book learning” and research background. I pack as … Continue reading Raising Bilingual Children: Six building blocks for success (Amsterdam)
Q: Should I send my child to Saturday School?
A. It depends! One of the key factors in successful bilingualism-for-life is being able to read and write a language. Parents pass down a language mainly orally, which is a natural pattern of language use in a family. Trying to teach your children to read and write in your language is not always easy, and … Continue reading Q: Should I send my child to Saturday School?
Q: Isn’t English more important than my language?
A: Absolutely not! I work with a lot of internationally living parents, and this is a common misconception; that it would be more valuable for them to use English with their children, to make sure they have English as a "mother tongue". I've even met families who want me to help them change their … Continue reading Q: Isn’t English more important than my language?
Seminar: Raising bilingual (and multilingual!) children: Six building blocks for success (April 12)
My "Raising Bilingual Children" seminar is one of my favourites; I've been working on it for years, and each family I meet contributes to my understanding on bilingual/multilingual families and adds to my "book learning" and research background. I pack as much good information as possible into the 2-hour session, along with some moments … Continue reading Seminar: Raising bilingual (and multilingual!) children: Six building blocks for success (April 12)
Is it language or learning?
Q: My older child is having difficulties in school, especially with reading and writing and it's not clear why. Is it is because of language, or something else? A. This is a question that is hard to answer generally, and usually requires input on a case-by-case basis. Once children are past their initial phases of … Continue reading Is it language or learning?
New blog for teachers/schools!
I've been blogging here for parents raising bilingual/multilingual children for quite a few years, and over those years I've had many interested teachers sign up to my blog as well. In an effort to meet the needs of both communities, I recently started a new blog just for teachers/schools/school leaders on my Crisfield Educational Consulting … Continue reading New blog for teachers/schools!
International Mother Language Day
A statement by the International Association of Applied Linguistics Research Network on Social and Affective Factors in Home Language Maintenance and Development. As much as these divisive times concern advocates of multiculturalism and human rights, so too do they concern linguists and educators. With the rise of populist nationalism, the threat of walls between sovereign … Continue reading International Mother Language Day
Meeting the Languages Challenge
This is a guest post that I wrote for the EAL Journal, a UK publication attached to NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum) about my recently published book. Click on the photo for link.
Q: How do we chose which languages to focus on with our child?
A: This is a tricky question to answer, because parents ask it for different reasons. Some parents ask this question because they have multiple languages in their family/community and are trying to formulate an effective language plan. Other parents ask this because they believe the "children are sponges" myth and want to try and … Continue reading Q: How do we chose which languages to focus on with our child?
