Monday morning at 7:45 AM we get to the school yard, but everybody is already inside (German punctuality!). So we ask a teacher in which classroom the children of the study group T. are – the answer is: 3rd floor. We run up the stairs and when we arrive, the classroom door is open and […]
Organising a study period abroad, primary school (part 2)
In mid June we received a letter from the school in Berlin, saying that our son would begin school on August 22nd with Frau K. in the T. study group (in Germany 1st and 2nd grade children are in one class, therefore classes have names rather than numbers). Attached there was a list of books […]
Organising a study period abroad, primary school
The author of this post is Sabina, and this is her translation of the original Italian post. Here we are again. The last 3 weeks have been very intense. For us but especially for Nicholas, who attended his first 3 weeks at a school in Berlin! 🙂 The idea was born incidentally, even though I […]
How exotic! An Italo Australian mum in Indonesia
Letter in English, from Italo Australian mum, risposta in Italiano. Un post veramente bilingue. Dear Letizia, May I commend you on your excellent input. I truly look forward to your updates and read them religiously. I feel like I am at a crossroads at the moment and I’d really appreciate your thoughts on the current […]
Douglas Hofstadter: la mia famiglia bilingue
Douglas Hofstadter, è un premio Pulitzer, professore universitario, fisico, filosofo, amante della parola e delle lingue, e papĂ . Per la cronaca è anche figlio di un premio Nobel per la Fisica. Ha cresciuto i suoi bambini bilingui, in Italiano. Questa è la sua storia, che ha condiviso con noi rispondendo alle mie domande, con una […]
I'm raising my child bilingual, or am I?
Sto crescendo il mio bambino bilingue, o no? All bilingual families from time to time should try to find the time to stop and think, to check how they are doing and whether the method they are following is the right one. All families raising bilingual children have a technique, irrespective of whether it is an […]
When a bilingual child doesn't want to speak a language
 Se il bambino bilingue rifiuta di parlare una lingua It’s quite common for children to refuse to use one of the languages they are exposed to and parents get often very frustrated. However this is very normal, and there’s no reason to worry about it nor to be bothered. To start with let’s clarify the […]
When to start with Bilingualism
Il momento giusto per iniziare col bilinguismo In short it’s never too early to start introducing a second language to a child, and it’s never too late to start… on this point there is unanimity among experts. That means that if you have a baby, or you are about to have one, the best thing […]
Playgroups help bilingual children speak their second language
Most expat families living in Italy, as well as any families in Italy wishing to teach a second language to their babies and toddlers, experience isolation and lack of opportunities to meet more bilingual children and parents. Playgroups are the perfect solution, offering fun in English, French, or any other language to the child and support to the parents.
How to raise a bilingual child: different techniques
There are endless ways to raise a child bilingual (OPOL, Minority Language at Home, Let’s talk english when we drive, During Summer Holidays Italian only, name it!). The challenge for each bilingual family is to find the combination that works best for them.