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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4 tips to learn a new language for adults
When adults learn a new language they often opt for conventional language classes, i.e. learn the grammar and follow a textbook. If they need to attain a certain level quickly (cfr. A1-C2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL), they follow intensive courses where they immerse into the language for […]
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Keep cool and stay bilingual
We can find many suggestions about how to support our children to become bilinguals* when they are toddlers, in preschool or primary school. But what happens when they are teenagers and young adults? Can we still support them with their family languages or other languages they’re learning along the way? If culture was a […]
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The bilingual brain
This is a very interesting TEDx Talk about the “benefits of a bilingual brain” by Mia Nacamulli. – I only would like to point out that grown ups usually learn a new language in a very “conventional” way, which is rule-based (i.e. using books, learning grammar first), what leads to using one side of the […]
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Multilingual Switzerland
I’ve often been asked if I was able to talk Swiss, as I’ve lived there for a long time. Even if this kind of comment seems funny to those who live in or close to Switzerland, it is quite a common assumption among people coming from other continents, that Swiss talk Swiss, like Swedish […]
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