It's that time a year again... once the school year is up and running, parents start thinking about how things are going with their little bilingual children. I meet more parents in the Sept-Nov block than at any other time of year! I visit many schools to provide parents with an opportunity to learn more … Continue reading Raising Bilingual Children: Six building blocks for success (Amsterdam)
Tag: benefits of bilingualism.
Back to blogging? Send your question….
You may have noticed (if you notice these things...) that's it been a bit quiet on my end these days. I keep telling myself that I will blog "manyana" and well manyana never comes.... it's not for lack of interest, it's really just for lack of time (and sometimes inspiration). Cue drum roll for excuses... … Continue reading Back to blogging? Send your question….
Forum: Why educating English language learners means success for everyone
This welcome attention to English learners, however, will become hollow rhetoric if the federal government does not fund significant professional development for teachers. A majority of teachers today report that they do not feel prepared to work with English learners, and most teachers in fact have limited or no training regarding the unique challenges and … Continue reading Forum: Why educating English language learners means success for everyone
New Seminar Date: Raising Bilingual Children (Amsterdam, April 16)
It's Spring time (even if it doesn't feel like it yet...) and that means it's time for my semi-annual trip to the welcoming Jacaranda Tree Montessori in Amsterdam. This seminar is for parents who are thinking about, or have already chosen bilingualism/multilingualism for their children. It's a little bit of theory (but fun, I promise) … Continue reading New Seminar Date: Raising Bilingual Children (Amsterdam, April 16)
Supporting Mother Tongue (everyone’s!) at school
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” ― Nelson Mandela I've been really excited to write this post for the International Mother Language Day campaign, because this topic is at the heart … Continue reading Supporting Mother Tongue (everyone’s!) at school
Beware of Bilingualism…
I get asked, a lot, to name some "negative" aspects of bilingualism. This happens in casual conversation, in seminars, in training sessions and in almost every situation where I am talking about the positive aspects of bilingualism. My standard answer is that there are no negative consequences when bilingualism is successful. That is not … Continue reading Beware of Bilingualism…
#IMLD: Best books about bilingualism for parents
You can not open a book without learning something. - Confucius If you are looking for resources to help on your journey to bilingualism with your children it may sometimes feel overwhelming. A simple search will turn up dozens, if not hundreds of books, some obviously aimed at parents, other at academics. To help you … Continue reading #IMLD: Best books about bilingualism for parents
#IMLD: Top 5 Reasons to Choose Bilingualism for Your Children (otherwise known as Talking to Monolinguals)
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. – Ludwig Wittgenstein One of the main reasons I started doing seminars for parents was the lack of information among many monolinguals in our community about the benefits of bilingualism. In the expat world, we meet many, many bilingual families, but there are also … Continue reading #IMLD: Top 5 Reasons to Choose Bilingualism for Your Children (otherwise known as Talking to Monolinguals)
