Multilingualism is not only good for our brain, our overall flexibility and open mindedness, it is also good for the economy. That countries like the UK with relatively “poor language skills” loses “the equivalent of 3,5% of its GDP every year” for exactly this reason whereas Switzerland, with its four national languages (German, French, Italian […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Multilingual Families
When the home language is not the dominant language
If you are a multilingual, is your home language your most dominant language? Something that surprises me when I read about language policies in schools and elsewhere is, that it is always assumed that people – children and adults – are most proficient, i.e. most fluent, in their home language. This might be correct for […]
Continue reading
Home Language Maintenance with Teenagers
[update May 2023] If you have teenagers whose school language is not one of the home languages it might be difficult to make them read, write and “immerse” into the home languages. If they don’t get any formal education in those languages it is very difficult to maintain them at home. The switching to the […]
Continue reading
Multilingual Parenting Fatigue
If you have done everything you could possibly do to keep your home language alive, but your preteen or teenager doesn’t respond in your home language, or overtly states that “the home language is not cool” or “too difficult”, you may experience multilingual parenting fatigue. Yes, I gave it a name! I was the multilingual […]
Continue reading
The Third Language Model
Audio The Third Language Model How do multilinguals preceive, experience their languages? How do their languages influence the way they perceive themselves, their identity and sense of belonging? We know that multilinguals are not a combination of multiple monolinguals in one, but a unique combination and sum of their languages that they have acquired and […]
Continue reading