Raising Children in More than One Language

A free seminar for parents, grandparents,
early childhood and preschool workers, teachers, and others interested in bilingual education

Sunday 21 February
International Mother Language Day
1.30-4.30pm

• Hear from parents who have raised their children in more than one language – and from the children themselves
• Discover more about the benefits of bilingual education
• Find out about opportunities for language learning and bilingual education in the ACT

Building 2, University of Canberra, Bruce
(enter from ‘The Hub’ – see map at www.canberra.edu.au/university/maps )

FREE ENTRY & REFRESHMENTS

Bookings essential: phone Marina on 6201 2483 or email Mandy.Scott@canberra.edu.au

This project was made possible by the support of the
ACT Government’s Multicultural Grants Program 2009–10

http://www.rumaccc.unimelb.edu.au/schools/how.html

http://www.learninglinks.org.au/information-sheets.htm

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29,  12:45pm – 5pm
Carrillo Gantner Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre,  Cnr Swanston St and Monash Rd, University of Melbourne

THE SEMINAR IS FREE BUT REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL by November 23rd.

Speakers include: Prof. Michael Clyne, Dr. Susanne Döpke, Prof. John Hajek
Raising children bilingually is a very important process. There are many positive strategies that can be employed. The sessions in this seminar discuss issues in raising children bilingually, show you how to recognise your child’s needs in the language and provide you with important tools to foster your child’s language learning and maximise the advantages available to you.

TO REGISTER: Please send an email listing the names of people wishing to register to:  rumaccc-info@unimelb.edu.au

THE SEMINAR IS FREE BUT REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL by November 23rd.

What you can do:
• Forward this email to any friends or family you feel might benefit from our seminar, or direct them to our website to find out more:  www.rumaccc.unimelb.edu.au
• Promote the seminar in your sphere of influence, at school, day care centre, community, local government area, your local library.
• Encourage parents and those working in the area to attend.

Contributors include Michael Clyne, Lia Tedesco, Greg Wilson and many more.

When: Sunday, 11 October 2009, 2pm

Where: Co As It, 189 Faraday St, Carlton

Prof Joe Lo Bianco, from the University of Melbourne will give the keynote address.

This forum is being organised by a group of parents who are members of the Italian Bilingual School Project (a not-for-profit unincorporated association).

italianbilingualschoolmelb@gmail.com

Our classes are small with 5-6 children per class and divided into 4 age groups. Classes are held in a home like environment with beautiful surroundings to make your child comfortable and ready to learn.

Your child will have lots of fun learning Mandarin in a great atmosphere where they will be immersed in the Mandarin language.

Mandarin mandarin Bilingual Centre is located at 783 Bourke St, Redfern NSW, Australia 2016.

Read more at http://www.mandarinmandarin.com/.

In an article last year I discussed the multiple benefits that young children can gain from learning a second language.  These benefits include adding to communicative and intellectual skills, and laying the foundation for successful learning of further languages later in life.

This article introduces readers to a growing area of interest among parents – bilingual playgroups.

Over recent months I have visited three language-based playgroups in the ACT.  All are providing a bilingual experience for children and highlighting the fact that speaking more than one language is a natural and fun thing to do.

First I visited the Yeppeun Byol Playgroup at Hughes, where I found a warm centre of activity and intercultural communication.  The group focuses on Korean children under school age, but includes parents of various ethnic backgrounds who have adopted children from Korea.  Food was a major part of the morning’s activities, reflecting its cultural significance and the interest of the Korean mothers in various non-Korean recipes and vice versa – The Aussie pikelets were a bit hit with the children on the day I was there!  The Korean parents take a leading role in teaching Korean songs, music, games and other activities to the children and the other parents.

The German playgroup Spiel und Spass, is held in Cook.  Again it was a busy morning, with about 20 children.  After a period of individual play and a craft activity, the group came together to sing songs from the “German songbook”, collated by and for the group over time.  Most parents have some connection with the German language, either coming from a German speaking country or having German speaking partners.

As with all playgroups, the activities allow parents to get together as well as the children.  One mother told me of her pleasure at being able to speak her native language with others.  Another, a non-German speaker, was attending to broaden her own and her child’s experience.

I also visited a Chinese playgroup, which is held in the homes of various parents.  This was less structured than the other groups, and a happy, boisterous atmosphere was the order of the day.  Again, food was an important part of the activities.

The mothers were all Chinese and obviously enjoyed being able to discuss family and life issues in Mandarin.  Not that the group does not welcome non-Chinese: others are welcome – though as with the two previous groups, culture and language maintenance was the guiding aim.

There is a place in Canberra for language-based playgroups which focus on English-only families.  These are springing up in other cities across Australia as parents realise the value to young minds of being exposed to more than one language.  Canberra is a highly educated city with a talented multilingual community – and plans are already afoot for new bilingual playgroups here.

One of the Chinese parents at the existing playgroup is thinking of starting a group which will focus on non-Chinese families, where parents and children can experience a Mandarin-speaking environment and learn Chinese songs and cultural activities together.

An experienced preschool teacher from Belgium has also just moved to Canberra and is exploring the possibility of starting sessions for teaching French or Dutch to young children.

So: watch this space!

Playgroups are ideal environments for introducing children to a new language in a fun way.  Parents can also be fully involved and can continue activities in the chosen language with their children at home if they wish.

Mandy Scott has a PhD in Linguistics, speaks several languages and is an active supporter of languages education; she can be contacted at mandy.scott@anu.edu.au This article first appeared in PlayACT, the newsletter of the ACT Playgroups Association, in 2008

We have created a comprehensive language teaching system that is exciting and enjoyable for both children and parents. Our curriculum includes activities in all lessons such as singing, music, story-telling, games and art to capture the imagination of every child.

We have a co-ordinated system of story books, flash cards, activity books, CDs and online access. You can actually make it as much fun at home for the kids as it is during the lessons! Your whole family will be exploring another language in no time.

We have 3 centres across Brisbane which teach French, Spanish and Italian to children aged between 18 months – 12 years.

www.alphatykes.com.au

In the LOTE@HOME pack, there’s a set of 50+ laminated cards for rooms in the home. Families attach the cards to the thing they refer to – the stove, the door, the dishwasher, the cupboard, the bath, the tap and so on. There are cards for the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen.

Family members use the words on the cards, mixed in with their usual language, to make sentences. So for example, a parent could say to a child “… please close ‘la porta’ when you come in …” Gradually, everyone will absorb the Italian word for ‘door’. And so it goes with all the other cards.

Click here to go to the website

In another set of cards in the pack, it’s all about learning the names of body parts. With this set, you can play a game, like ‘Snap’ or ‘Go Fish’ but use the foreign words to do it. The pronunciation is explained too.

By using the cards, and reinforcing words around the house, kids will learn a new language in exactly the same way they learned English – by immersion and absorption.

LOTE@HOME packs are not intended to replace formal LOTE lessons, however they are intended to build an “in country environment” in the home that will support the formal learning of a second language.

Click here to go to the website