I often write and speak about multilingualism, and much of my work has focused on language development, language learning and how people navigate their languages. But there is another part of multilingual life that is less visible that happens in everyday interactions: in the conversations around the dinner table. in how parents respond to a […]
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Some cognitive, cultural and future benefits for multilinguals
Beyond simply knowing two or more languages and dialects (or sign languages), being bilingual* offers a wide range of cognitive, cultural, and future benefits that make it a skill worth cultivating
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Challenges in Multilingualism – Navigating Language Dynamics in Multilingual Families
Being or becoming multilingual has numerous advantages, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Understanding and addressing these challenges is essential for successful language development and maintenance in multilingual families. Let’s look at some common challenges that arise in multilingual families and discuss strategies to overcome them. Language Dominance When […]
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In person training about Language Consulting for Multilingual Families
I recently held a 3 days in-person training about “Language Consulting for Multilingual Families” for a team of experts from Iceland that supports newly arrived families and multilingual families in general. Iceland being a very language-friendly and welcoming country, the amazing support system for foreigners tends to create a unique situation where the local language […]
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Can a country be too language friendly?
Icelandic society is very welcoming towards immigrants. The government helps newcomers, providing translators and mediators to them in order to smoothly adapt to the new reality. English is widespread in the country and used as the primary means of communication between newcomers and locals.
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