Many internationals end up talking another language with their child than the one they chose at the beginning. There are different reasons for this: – They live in a country where their mother tongue is not recognized as an important (= prestigious enough…) language, i.e. it is not supported by the school and society, and […]
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Mother tongue, first language, native language or dominant language?
Get an overview of several terms that refer to the first languages we acquire or learn, those we use to a high level of proficiency etc.
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Language preference among bilingual siblings
©Ute Limacher-Riebold 2010 We can find many studies about how to raise “a” or “one” bilingual child, but what happens when you have more than one child (and maybe twins)? Will it be possible to keep the initial bilingual situation within the family? Do children influence the language dynamic in the family? Do all the […]
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8 things to say to a bilingual
Many bilinguals (and with this term I mean people who talk two or more languages, so including also plurilinguals) feel annoyed by all kind of questions that refer to them being able to understand, speak, write and read two or more languages. Instead of listing up these negative examples, I think it would be good […]
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When a bilingual child turns quiet
This is an extended version of an answer I gave to parents who asked me for advice about their 7 yo boy turning silent. One or the biggest myths about bilingual children is that they are all like sponges and that they become fluent in no time… Fact is, that during language acquisition, children go […]
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