I address a wide range of questions and concerns related to raising bilingual or multilingual children. Every session or workshop is tailored to the audience’s specific situation. Common topics include:
Teaching your home language to a newborn or young child
Supporting three or more languages in the family
Helping children adapt when moving to a new country or community
Managing language mixing or reluctance to speak a language
Choosing immersion programs (e.g., French or Mandarin-English)
Reading and writing in multiple languages
Supporting children with language disorders or learning challenges
Online resources and books can’t address the unique combination of languages and circumstances in your family. In a consultation, we focus on your situation, answer your questions, and provide practical strategies to support your child’s language development. Think of it as a guided conversation: we discuss your questions and I provide tips, strategies, and concrete next steps tailored to your family's goal and situation.
By talking about your questions and family situation and having me ask directed questions or give concrete suggestions, you attain a clear understanding of where to go next and which concrete steps to take to support your children in their multilingual journey.
Not always. Even when parents speak their languages at home, many children grow up monolingual. Raising bilingual or multilingual children typically requires intentional strategies, consistent practice, and planning. My consultations and workshops give you the knowledge and tools to increase your child’s chances of becoming proficient in multiple languages.
The best time to contact me is when you are expecting your first child or have very young children. That way, you have everything in place from the get go. Aside from that, it is never too early or too late to learn more about how children learn more than one language.
Please email me to find out. You can also request a workshop or presentation in your area on a variety of topics surrounding child multilingualism for you and your friends or colleagues.
Yes. We are personally juggling four languages in our own family. While the principles and strategies are similar to those for bilingualism, there is generally more planning and effort required on the part of the parents / caregivers to instill trilingualism or multilingualism in their children. My consulting is tailored to your specific situation, including the number of languages you are considering for your children.
I can assist you with any language or language combination. The principles of bilingualism and multilingualism hold for all languages, and I will tailor the consultation/workshop to your specific situation and needs.
I work with expecting parents, parents of newborn babies, and parents of older children. We can discuss language strategies suitable to your situation and needs.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Adding another language can work well for some children but may pose challenges for others. The right approach depends on factors like:
Your child’s current language proficiency
The languages already in your child’s life
Local support and opportunities for using each language
Your family’s goals and resources
Anne Rimrott, Ph.D.
Consultant for Multilingual Families
Email: anne@bilingualfamily.ca