Tips From The Experts To Support Language Learning At Home

We like technology for a variety of reasons, one of which is the ability to “meet” virtually with people around the world. On my last Instagram Live, I had the opportunity to meet with two multilingual educators and moms, one in The Netherlands, and one in Belgium!

Ute Limacher-Riebold, PhD, is an Intercultural Language and Communications Consultant and trainer, linguist, researcher and author, founder of the platform Ute’s International Lounge where she supports international families maintain languages and culture while embracing new ones.  Ana Elisa Miranda is an ESL teacher from Brazil that has lived abroad since 2009. She has called Belgium home since 2012 and loves the opportunity to raise her daughter in a diverse, touristic area home to universities and international companies.  The two educators met online and their love and commitment to raising multilingual families resulted in a book filled with activities for families to foster language learning at home. For ages 2 and up, The Toolbox for Multilingual Families book was released in English in November 2020, with the idea of being translated to other languages in the near future.

I invite you to watch our IGTV!!

In their quest to developed a tool for families that would include a myriad of fun games and activities that encourage, inspire, and foster language acquisition and learning, the experts also co-authored a workbook that guides parents to keep track of the games and activities they enjoyed and come up with their own ideas that will serve as fun memories for the whole family.

 

Ute is the founder of Ute’s International Lounge, where she offers training and support to international families as they maintain their home languages and their cultures while embracing the language and the culture where they move to.

Ana Elisa, is a tutor and a teacher and in her platforms, she shares literacy activities for parents and children to help them with their home languages.

Here are some practical ideas from the experts to support languages at home:

1. Know what you are doing- be committed to nurturing all the languages.
2. Be prepared – understand the child’s milestones and what can happen.
3. Be flexible!
4. Every family is different – find your own formula
5. ENJOY the process!
6. Create an emotional connection with the languages.
7. Create the need – family, friends, activities, travel.
8. Create the habit!

For more on Ute and Ana Lisa follow them on Instagram @utesintlounge and @ana.elisa.miranda.

Thank you, Ute and Ana Elisa!