When we make a language mistake, we may feel uncomfortable. This discomfort can be productive. It can lead to reflection, correction and even growth. But sometimes what emerges is not discomfort, it is shame. And sometimes it is anxiety or guilt. These experiences are related, but they are not the same. Language Guilt and Language […]
Continue readingTag Archives: language learning
Effective strategies to support Additional Language Learners
In this post you can find a list of strategies that support multilingual students in the most effective way
Continue reading
Literacy skills and music: how our children learn to think in words or sentences
When parents ask me how to help their not verbal children start speaking I usually suggest techniques that involve music. The same goes with literacy skills. Musical notes and a free style of representing music and the spoken word can help our children understand how language works. How language can be “translated” into sounds, and […]
Continue reading
When parents should NOT speak their L1 with their children
Against the common advice, backed up by countless research that states that parents should speak their L1 – first language – with their children, it is time to explain why this is not always the best solution for multilingual parents. I think there is an important misunderstanding leading to many parents doubting about the decisions […]
Continue reading
The illusion of sound and its meaning in language acquisition and learning
Sound is the most important medium we use when communicating – unless, of course, we use sign language. Most of us assume that the auditory signal is enough for others to understand us. Some people increase the volume to make sure they are “heard”. Most of my clients are surprised to learn that sound is […]
Continue reading