Such fun! (A podcast about raising bi/multilingual children)

It seems like a long time has passed since I recorded this episode of the Teaching MLs podcast with Tan Huynh, but I still remember how much fun it was to have this conversation with him We connected about the lived experiences of children who lose or don't develop their home languages, about supporting multilingual learners in schools, and probably on a few more topics that have slipped my mind! The podcast was recorded very shortly after the publication of my second book Bilingual Families: A practical language planning guide (Multilingual Matters, 2021).

While my book was written mainly for parents, it has proven useful for many schools who want to develop their approach to school-based family language planning. This is an approach in which schools work with parents of bi/multilingual students on school entry through a combination of written documents and interviews. Spending time with parents can give insight to the school on the language profile and pathways of the student, and can also provide professional support for parents in navigating the language journey of their children.

All schools, but international schools in particular, have a duty to help parents make positive choices for their children's languages, and this can be a tricky road to navigate at times. Despite the sometimes somber nature of the topics, I had a great time recording this blog, as it is always special to talk to someone whose beliefs align so well with my own. I hope you have as much fun listening to it as I had recording it!

PS. Click on the photo for the direct link to the podcast.