In this issue – Grass Roots Language Preservation – Bilingual Living in a ‘Monolingual’ Country – Multicultural Adoption News and Views for Intercultural People – Too Much of a Good Thing? Editors: Sami Grover & Marjukka Grover 2003, Vol 20 No.3 – News from the USA

EDITORIAL PRESERVING LANGUAGE FROM THE BOTTOM UP: All too often bi/multilinguals are asked A Case Study From the following: David A. Hough and Alister Tolenoa ‘What exactly is the point of preserving your Spanish/ German/ Arabic/ Urdu ?’ Pohnpeian, with , Nauruan and (delete as appropriate) Chuukese also related. In a world where English predominates, Much of ’s early history has been monolinguals can find it hard to lost because of colonisation and understand that language can mean so depopulation. From 1840–1880 the much more than just being a tool for population decreased from about 7000 to communication. For many of us, our 300 due to diseases brought by Western multiple languages are important links to whaling ships. Direct colonial rule our heritage and our cultural identities. followed, first under Spain until 1898, They are part of who we are. then Germany until 1914, Japan from 1914 until 1945, and following that the In this issue we hear from David Hough Official efforts to preserve a language, and Alister Tolenoa on a language United States. The legacy of this or anything else for that matter, are colonialism is still very much alive. program in Micronesia that is often led from the top down by empowering the inhabitants of a tiny government and experts who may not Today, the island is part of the Federated island to preserve their own language. be aware of the needs and wishes of States of Micronesia, a nation that is This article is a shining example of how local populations. Here David Hough nominally independent from the US. language can be a ‘carrier’ of so much and Alister Tolenoa describe a project Kosrae is made up of four municipalities cultural heritage and indigenous that aims to do the reverse, engaging and six villages. Each village has an knowledge. the local population of a small island in elementary school. In addition, there is On page two, Leena Huss also discusses the preservation of their own language. one high school on the island. The College of Micronesia also has a small the importance of language to an This is a story about a small Micronesian individual’s sense of identity: campus on Kosrae for students who are island and how islanders, along with unable to attend the main campus on ‘Without Finnish and my Finnish history, Japanese college students, are working Pohnpei. With such a small population I was a pale shadow of myself...’ together to help preserve both the local and a limited educational budget, it is language and culture. It is part of a difficult to produce sufficient teaching She argues clearly and effectively why three-year project funded by a grant from materials in Kosraean. At present, most it was so important for her to speak the Japan Ministry of Education and materials are in English. Given this with her children in her mother tongue, Science, entitled The Kosrae Dictionary problem, in 1995, Alister Tolenoa, something that many readers will no and Curriculum Development Project. Director for Instructional Services at the doubt identify with. Kosrae is a small island in Micronesia Kosrae State Department of Education, Whilst it would be too much to hope with a population of just under 9000. It is requested assistance in developing that the contents of this issue could help the easternmost state in the Federated Kosraean language materials for use in put an end to the ever present ‘why States of Micronesia. With a landmass of grades K–12. Of particular concern was bother?’ argument, we hope that it will approximately 107 sq. kilometres, it is a that despite a bilingual education policy, at least provide some encouragement to tall volcanic island that receives ample the preponderance of English–language those multilingual families struggling rain from the trade winds and, as a result, materials in the schools is helping to against the indifference, and sometimes is extremely green and fertile. make Kosraean an endangered language. open hostility, of their neighbours, Linguistically, the Kosraean language is Likewise, there is concern about the colleagues, relatives, teachers or probably closest to Marshallese, although culture. Traditional subsistence activities, healthcare professionals. the two languages are not mutually intelligible. The next closest language is Continued on page 2 Sami Grover 2 The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003

Preserving a Language... Continued from page 1

for example, are giving way to increased proletarianisation, stratification and out-migration to , and the US mainland. In 2001, David Hough of the Shonan Institute of Technology in Fujisawa, Japan, began working with Mr Tolenoa and the Kosrae Department of Education Multicultural Adoption (DOE) to revise an out-of-print dictionary Reading the letter re: bilingualism and of Kosraean and put it on computer adoption in Vol 20. No.1 made me database. The purpose of the database think that our own experience might be was threefold: useful. • to allow for ongoing input and revision My husband, myself and my adopted • to facilitate small print runs as needed and being given candies – students were son, Ben, lived in Thailand. I and Ben • to make it available via the internet to also allowed to keep their pencils and were based mainly in Bangkok and my some 2000 Kosraeans living off-island. boxes of crayons – there was a group husband in the south, travelling up to photo session so that class pictures could stay with us regularly. Ben spoke In addition, the DOE set up a working also be included in the dictionary. English with me and Thai with Boonya, group of educators and community my husband. I spoke reasonable Thai leaders who met to plan what materials In some cases, the pictures the children having lived in the country for many they needed. Their first priority was for wrote didn’t fit with the sentences. Here, years. We fostered Bin, who was Thai. I grade-appropriate dictionaries for the Mr Toneloa’s children offered to help. wanted him to learn English so he could schools. In addition to the out-of-print The pictures and sentences were then feel fully part of this bilingual family dictionary, which is being put on brought back to Japan where 11 Shonan but I also wanted him to feel at home database, these included a children’s Institute of Technology (SIT) students and understand what was going on. I picture dictionary, a wordbook and a began work on producing the actual therefore adopted the strategy of saying junior dictionary. Members of the dictionary. Drawings which were not things to him in English and then working group also felt that it was selected for the inside pages were repeating them in Thai and vice versa. extremely important to involve Kosraean included on the front and back covers so that all of the students would have their When he had been with us for a month students in all of the projects as much as pictures included somewhere in the book. or so he started to attend an possible – in essence, to make them the For the SIT students, the project offered international summer school where authors. In this sense, the project is a them the opportunity to combine English was the medium of instruction. bottom-up approach to language hands-on use of computers with We continued the used of both Thai and preservation and enrichment. real-world experience in helping to English at home until he felt preserve indigenous language and culture. comfortable with me just speaking It also gave them the opportunity to get a English. “... it was extremely important feel for the culture both through the I was amazed by how painless and to involve Kosraean students in pictures that the elementary school quick this transition was. I think two all of the projects as much as students had drawn, and through things played a part. One was the possible – in essence, to make subsequent email correspondence summer school but the other was between Japan and Kosrae. undoubtedly Bin’s determination to be them the authors.” The student pictures were very reflective part of the family. He observed that Ben of the culture and the everyday life on always spoke to me in English and that Kosrae. They ranged from pictures of this was part of family life. He was special hand-made sticks used to pluck determined to do the same thing so the Mr Tolenoa and Dr Hough decided to fruit from trees, to local foods such as motivation to learn was high. begin with the children’s picture dictionary. Mr Tolenoa arranged for a breadfruit and taro. The Kosrae DOE felt Now we live in The Gambia and Bin special assembly of first and second that this type of cultural input was has a smattering of Wollof as well as graders from two elementary schools for extremely valuable. As noted earlier, English and Thai. He goes to an English this. First, he reviewed the Kosraean most textbooks used in Kosrae schools are language school but, interestingly, Ben alphabet. Following this, he had pieces of commercially published materials from and Bin still speak to each other paper and boxes of crayons passed out to the US. As a result, students are primarily in Thai! each student. He then assigned different presented with an idealised version of life letters of the alphabet to each student and in America. In contrast, things Kosraean I hope this story is useful to other are often looked down upon. US families. Perhaps what it illustrates is asked them to draw something representing each of their letters. The textbooks present other problems as well. that you have to assess your own Not only do they use English as the situation and make the most of it. students were then asked to think up what they considered to be funny or interesting medium and content of instruction, they Saying things in two languages was are also replete with American cultural possible for me and so I made use of it. sentences in Kosraean to go along with their pictures. The students wrote their values. This type of cultural assimilation Tracey Martin sentences on separate pieces of paper, – often implicit, sometimes explicit – is seen by the Kosrae DOE as a threat to The Gambia sometimes accompanied by additional pictures. After completing the pictures The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003 3 indigenous language preservation and NEWS FROM THE USA: Numerous pundits and political figures, growth. including Bloomberg, were sympathetic NY Bucks The Trend to the idea of an English-only mandate in Throughout the entire development James Crawford New York. process, SIT students were in frequent e–mail contact with Kosrae DOE to verify But Unz’s foray also united local what was appropriate and to make supporters of bilingual education. changes as necessary. This allowed for and Asian organisations established a coalition to help educate the the inclusion of pictures and sentences, public about the benefits of teaching in which reflected culturally appropriate two languages. They did research, humour, such as ‘The bird pooped on the produced reports, organised rallies, and baby.’ It was also decided by the working worked with news media to get the group that the dictionary should be message out. They also mobilised trilingual – in Kosraean, English and political allies at a time when Japanese. This was in keeping with Bloomberg’s support was sinking in national language policy guidelines, whic minority communities, especially among call for both English and Japanese to be Latinos who had helped to get him taught as second languages in schools. elected. Over time, the coalition’s efforts at public outreach played a decisive role SIT students helped in this effort by in changing the mayor’s mind. translating part of the text and preparing a On taking office last year, New York trilingual glossary. mayor Michael Bloomberg made no Unfortunately, this kind of outcome and secret of his distaste for bilingual the pro-bilingual activism that produced it After completing the first edition, SIT education. He announced an initiative to remain rare. While English-only school students printed out, cut and bound 40 ‘reform’ programmes for teaching the initiatives have passed only in California, copies, which were then pilot tested in city’s 144,000 learners, Arizona and Massachusetts thus far, the Kosrae. Pilot testing is now complete and voicing his personal preference for ‘total three states enroll 43% of the nation’s final revisions are being made so that the immersion’. He reminded New Yorkers English language learners. Opponents books can be used in local schools that ‘this is an English-speaking country, worked hard to defeat these measures and starting in the 2003 academic year. Initial like it or not,’ and accused the school tried a variety of strategies to win over reaction to the Children’s Picture ‘bureaucracy’ of refusing to teach the voters. Still they were badly defeated. Dictionary has been extremely positive. language. He described bilingual Unlike the New York coalition, none of education as an employment programme the organised campaigns attempted to Not only is it the first full-color text in for teachers who ‘couldn’t get a job’ explain or defend bilingual education. In Kosraean, it is also the first time that otherwise because of their limited English effect, they surrendered the intellectual young Kosraean schoolchildren have been skills. battle without firing a shot. Perhaps there both artists and authors in the creation of is a lesson here. their own learning materials. So when Bloomberg’s plan was finally announced this summer, language-minority According to reports by state officials, in Following the completion of this first advocates were prepared for the worst. 2001 only one in four American children project, some SIT students began to make They were pleasantly surprised. whose English is limited received any cardboard pop-ups of the dictionary pages kind of native-language instruction. which can be used as supplements for Rather than dismantle bilingual education, Although comparable figures are lacking, storytelling in classrooms and libraries. In which now serves about 40% of English this is probably the lowest level since the addition to the Children’s Picture language learners in New York, the plan 1970s. provides an additional $20 million to Dictionary, work has begun on other improve existing programmes. Bilingual education remains most widely grade-appropriate materials, including a Innovations will include: available in states like New York, where Junior Dictionary for third–fifth graders, immigrants have traditionally settled and which began in the summer of 2002. • Hiring more than 100 ‘instructional where schools are most experienced in Based on a 1500-word frequency list of support specialists’ to train teachers and serving immigrant students. But in the Kosraean words that appear in current ensure that children learning English are states with the fastest-growing immigrant school materials, the dictionary will provided with the same rigorous curric- populations, bilingual programs are include pictures of local artifacts and ulum available to other students. virtually nonexistent. These include Georgia (where English learner plants. In designing this dictionary, a • Initiating after-school tutoring number of problems were encountered, enrollments over the past decade programmes. increased by 901%), North Carolina including the fact that there are no words • Creating an assessment and monitoring (776%), Nebraska (719%), Alabama in Kosraean for parts of speech. After structure to ensure that schools are held (554%) and South Carolina (481%). considering various options, it was accountable for students’ progress. decided to create new terminology based • Opening 14 dual language schools (also This is an ominous trend for the future of on local words. Thus, the word for noun known as two-way bilingual education) effective language programmes. While is a compound which means “thing one”, designed to promote bilingual fluency the victory in New York is encouraging, it and the word for verb means “thing which for both language-minority students and is likely to be an aberration – unless bilingual educators in other states get moves”. Other projects include the native English speakers. better organised. construction of a website which will allow While numerous details remain to be access to Kosraeans living off island, and For further information on bilingual worked out, education activists generally a computer-based spelling game – the first education and related issues, visit hailed the outcome as a victory – in Micronesia. All of these projects James Crawford’s Language Policy especially in the current political climate. follow a similar bottom-up approach to Web Site at: first-language literacy and maintenance Two years ago, the city came under Http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep bilingualism. pressure from Ron Unz, the software ages/jwcrawford/ millionaire who has successfully promoted ballot measures outlawing bilingual education in other states. 4 The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003

CREATING A BILINGUAL When my first child was born in 1974, I had HELP, HELP... just moved to . I had not yet begun FAMILY IN A ‘MONOLINGUAL’ worrying about my Finnish, but I felt clearly Guten Tag! Bun di! Bonjour! Buenos COUNTRY handicapped in Swedish. I felt that Finnish dias! God dag! by Leena Huss was the only language that I could speak to I am a Bilingual (German/English) my child. My husband agreed, so I did not African–American linguist, married to a have to cope with the problem of an trilingual (German/ English/ French) unsympathetic partner, something that many European man who is personally and immigrant parents encounter. I have since professionally committed to ensuring that met many unsympathetic people, like a that the voices of bilingual and bicultural physician at the child welfare centre who families are not only heard but respected. indirectly discouraged me from speaking I am conducting an international study on anything other than Swedish to my child. I people of bicultural/bilingual parentage. I have often wondered how much influence am looking for volunteers who fit the following description: doctors, teachers and other so-called authorities wield. They will, without having • You are 18 years or older. the least experience or knowledge of • The native language of your mother is bilingual development ‘give advice’, and different from that of your father. Leena’s sons Mikael, Mattias & Markus, sometimes even orders, about how parents and Mikael’s wife Li Li • The nationality or ethnicity of your should deal with language issues. It is like hiring your doctor to repair the car. mother is different from that of your Throughout Europe families face similar father. problems when trying to raise their In our case, the indirect warning did not • You currently live in Germany, children bilingually. Newsletters in several matter, we had made up our minds. England, Switzerland or the United countries1 tell the same tale, regardless of Together we perused everything written States. official policy or of the languages If you or someone you know fits the concerned. Other people’s negative above description, please contact me at attitudes towards bilingual upbringing “... so-called authorities[ ...] the following address: overshadow family life. However, some will, without having the least parents stubbornly stick to their aim, link knowledge of bilingual Dr. I.M. Laversuch, up with other families in a similar situation development ‘give advice’, and Englisches Seminar, and fight against the prejudices of the Plattenstr. 47, surrounding world. Many parents feel that sometimes even orders, about Universität Zürich, how parents should deal with Zürich,Contact CH-8032 details removed it is a worthwhile effort, and the rewards Switzerland of family bilingualism are described in language issues.” bright colours. Parents maintain that the double linguistic heritage belongs to their children, connects the children to past about child bilingualism that we came generations and strengthens their identities. across. In the mid-1970s, the selection HUMOUR, HUMOUR was limited, and the scholarly When I moved from to Sweden, I publications were unsuitable for use by went through the metamorphosis that so parents. However, we did find some many emigrants experience: from being a articles recommending the one parent – ‘normally competent’ person into a one language principle. This suited us ‘deviant’, ‘different’ human being. very well and we felt it was the natural Suddenly, one belongs to those who are thing to do. ‘not from here’, do not speak in the same way or have the same cultural and social My arrival in Sweden coincided with knowledge as everybody else. I had the large scale migration from Finland and advantage of knowing some Swedish intense debate about the schooling of Bad Press when I arrived but in practice my skills immigrant children. Skutnabb-Kangas’ view that the mother tongue of immigrant Nadia (my three-year old daughter who were not nearly adequate. A year or two speaks Arabic, English and Serbian) threw a passed before I could relax and let the children should be protected created a serious tantrum when she saw her words flow freely. After a while I noticed favourable climate for bilingual families Yugoslavian grandmother holding an Arabic another change: my own mother tongue and the founding of ‘home language newspaper. was beginning to fall away. Suddenly it classes’ with mother-tongue-medium instruction for several of the larger ‘This newspaper is not for you - it is not became difficult to remember words, or to Yugoslavian!’ explain something that I had learned in language groups. Sweden. At the same time, I worried that Regardless of the volatility of the debate, Grandma tried to explain that she was just I would never learn to speak Swedish as our micro-level bilingual programme looking at photographs, but Nadia wasn’t well as I had spoken Finnish when I left convinced, she grabbed the newspaper from proceeded as planned. Swedish was Finland. Would my fate be ‘OK Swedish her grandma’s hands explaining that only established as the language between – OK Finnish’, a bit worse than Mammy and Daddy know how to read father and son, and Finnish between everybody else in both languages? In Arabic! mother and son. This pattern was well view of this, I started reading Finnish established when our second son was Nadia started recognising Arabic alphabet books again, and later began studying very early and she is now desperate to learn to born. We parents always spoke Swedish Fenno-Urgic languages at the university – distinguish the Serbian alphabet (which is together, but my husband showed a keen something that had never occurred to me Cyrillic) from the English. interest in Finnish, and had learned when I lived in Finland. Ljiljana Anicic, Surbiton, UK enough to understand what I said to the children. However, the fragile balance of The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003 5 language use was soon disturbed by the I respond to your very interesting query overwhelming inflow of the majority based on comparative cases of hundreds language. In spite of me spending a lot of of other families I have worked with and time with the children when they were on my research for my books Raising small, I noticed that the boys’ Swedish Multilingual Children (2001), and The rapidly became stronger. In such an Multilingual Mind (2002). ideologically monolingual society it was difficult to maintain another language, It sounds as if Max has a high aptitude especially a somewhat stigmatised for foreign languages, which is certainly a language like Finnish.2 I had to make a gift (fewer than 10% of the world’s special effort if we wanted the children to population enjoy such a talent). Your grow up bilingual. I felt that the Finnish Too much of a good consistency with a one-person, language was important for my own sense thing? one-language strategy has certainly been of help, and the fact that the minority of well-being: it was what made me able We are a German-US American family to continue being me. Without (German) was spoken by his currently living in England. I speak (as-of-yet) stay-at-home mother has given and my Finnish history, I was a pale German with our son Max (born 1999) . shadow of myself with an incomplete him a firm basis in both English and As I do not work outside the home, this German. language. is his main language; his English comes from his father in the evenings and on However, as you point out, changing From the mid 1980s, the impact of the weekends, as well as from friends. ‘Don’t Forget Swedish!’ doctrine strategies on a small child can be a very (Hyltensham, 1986), to be followed by So far our one-parent-one-language drastic decision. Consistency in language ‘Do Forget the Home Language!’ in the approach seems to working well. Max is strategy is very important for small 1990s (Nauclér, 1997), was noticeable in proficient for his age in both languages, children, but especially for those under the press. Articles warned against too speaking in full sentences and picking (about) the age of five. It is typical for a much emphasis on the mother-tongue of up complex words and grammar. He is bilingual/multilingual child to have a also very particular about who speaks minority children. I had by then met ‘normal’ mixing stage, and then begin to what language to him and gets upset if separate and label his languages other Finnish parents who were eager to one of us should use the ‘wrong’ discuss family bilingualism and who (‘Mommy says it like this, daddy says it language or, heaven forbid, a third like that’) and then to name his languages found it exceedingly difficult to fight language altogether. negative attitudes in their surroundings. A (‘Mommy speaks German, daddy speaks group of us decided to found an However, things are about to change English’). Families can change their association for parents in bi– and drastically, as we are considering a move language strategies, but generally, until a multilingual families and the association to Ukraine. In addition, I will be child can name his languages, this is a was soon busy organising meetings and returning to paid employment while my very difficult and often traumatic task. husband stays home with Max. information campaigns.³ Once Max does name German ‘German’ Concerns about meeting prejudice were The two main languages in Ukraine for and English ‘English’, you can strike a us will probably be Russian and English, deal with him, and bargain a third, fourth initially only a matter for the adults. For with Ukrainian thrown in and German the boys bilingualism was completely or fifth language. (‘Max, you know coming fourth. I speak all these Mommy speaks German, and Daddy natural. Both spoke Finnish with me, languages, my husband speaks English, sometimes more or less mixed with speaks English, but we are going to live in French and some German and plans on a nice new house with new friends who Swedish, but still Finnish. With my learning Russian. Any nursery or husband, they spoke Swedish without any playgroup Max might go to is likely to all speak something called Ukrainian [or other elements mixed in. Their friends be either Russian- or English-speaking. Russian]. Would you like to learn to were Swedish-speaking, as was all of our speak Ukrainian [Russian], too?’.) environment. Discounting a couple of My main concern is that Max’s overall language skills might deteriorate and, Other factors, such as the opportunity to annual visits to Finland and some of my specifically, that he will lose his use the target languages throughout the Finnish friends, I was the only source of proficiency in German, as he will see me day, and Max’s own motivation to learn Finnish for the boys during their early less and hear less German overall. are also extremely key variables. You years. The linguistic situation changed Although I would love for him to learn have also considered things such as the dramatically when the boys were three Russian and/or Ukrainian, I do wonder length of stay and your family language and six years old. We moved to Helsinki. whether it might not be best to stick to goals. It is very important for you to In Finland, a country with two national German and English, especially as we think about why you want him to learn languages, we suddenly faced the choice are only likely to be in Ukraine for 2–3 Ukrainian [Russian]: To integrate into the years. This would mean, for instance, between Finnish- and Swedish-medium community? Because he is good at day-care. We were initially attracted to finding a German-speaking nanny/helper rather than my preferred languages and could probably take on the idea of a Swedish one, but decided to choice of a Russian- or Ukrainian [Russian] with little effort? To opt for Finnish. We wanted the children Ukrainian-speaking one. Maybe I am give him the choice to return to that to retain their ‘standard Swedish’ accent needlessly concerned and he will pick up country to study/work someday (meaning and thus avoid complications when we the third and fourth language as easily you also want literacy skills)? moved back to Sweden. We also knew as he did the first two. that the boys’ Finnish must be You should feel confident that German strengthened. Our eldest son went to a Does the editorial board have any advice will not be lost. Both quantity as well as Finnish school for two years. During our or comments? We would also be quality time are needed to ensure that it interested to hear from other families flourishes, however. Be sure you are the years in Helsinki the boys developed with similar experiences. native fluency in Finnish and very soon one to read the bed time stories (in dropped any Swedish borrowings. Their Elisabeth Waechter German), and that you spend a great deal Faringdon, UK of time asking him questions and giving [email protected] Continued on page 7 Contact details removed Continued on page 6 6 The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2001

Too Much...continued from page 5 Refusal to speak french English or in any language. Make sure you are flexible and keep communication him vocabulary for the answers. You We are a French/Scottish family with a with your son as your priority, do not could try to arrange some 4 year old living in France. Our child correct him when he uses French rather German-speaking playgroup situations or understands both French and English than English but help him to formulate an occasional German baby-sitter, but as but is unwilling to speak English. Given what he wants to say in English. that my husband, the “Scottish” you have been the primary care giver for element, works overseas and is away Another suggestion would be to reinforce the first three years of his life, his from home for weeks on end we chose for your son the link between the English foundations in German are quite strong, to use only English at home rather than language and his father. You could and they will grow even stronger so long the one parent one language approach. explain to your son that English is his as you give a steady, high-quality input of Obviously the bulk of our father’s language and you want him to language daily. You can do this, despite communication outside the home with speak both his father’s and his mother’s your working schedule. family and friends is in French. language. Children very often understand Regarding English , your husband, one of Since our son has started French school far more than they let on. You could ask the two most loved people in the world to his French has come on in leaps and your husband, when he is home, to record Max, will be the person spending the most bounds and now its reached the stage your son’s favourite stories in English on time with him. So long as your husband where he only uses French when cassette tapes so your son could listen not takes it upon himself to engage Max in talking to either of us although our only to stories in English, but to his response is always in English. This is father’s voice when he is away. conversation, read with him, and encourage very frustrating for my husband with his use of English, that will also flourish. his French level. As far as strategies are concerned, you have chosen the right one, i.e. the strategy As far as schooling is concerned, a Any advice or book recommendations Russian environment would be ideal for a would be appreciated. of place, which means using the non child who will already have English dominant language at home, which is for through his soon-to-be primary caregiver Laurence McKenzie, France you English. This strategy will ensure (Dad). your child has the exposure to English he What you are experiencing is quite needs in order to develop his competence normal. Many studies of children growing in this language and to balance his greater “... changing strategies on a up with two or more languages at home exposure to French. Make sure also that small child can be a very report the same reluctance, around the age you stick to your strategy, for if you use drastic decision. Consistency in of three or four, to use one of the two French from time to time with your child, languages. For example, Saunders (1988, he will see no reason to speak English to language strategy is very you. Another point to be aware of is that important for small children...” p.123), Baker (1995, p.81), Harding and Riley (1986, p.135) all give the same your child’s reluctance to speak English advice: keep speaking the minority does not mean he does not understand language to your child but do not chastise English, it just means it is easier for him at present to answer you in French and Every family has to make up their own him when he answers in the majority you should accept his replies in French, minds and gauge their own limitations language. but keep speaking to him in English. As and possibilities with language. You It is normal at the moment for your child Saunders (1988, p.126) writes : ‘be have a wonderful opportunity to build to be dominant in French, and you should persistent yet show understanding and on an already strong language not expect bilingual competence to be good humour’. foundation and add even more with equal in the two languages at all times. your family’s travels. Bilingual competence varies a lot with Christine Helot On a personal note, I am American and age, of course, but also place, people, Here is a bibliography on raising children speak English to the children, my subjects of dicussion etc. At present your bi/trilingually husband is from Ecuador and speaks child is in the process of acquiring two Arnberg L.: Raising Children Bilingually: The Spanish, my three children, ages 9, languages but he is having more exposure pre-school years. Multilingual Matters 1987. 7,and 5 have attended the German to the French language than to English. It is quite normal that having started school Baetens Beardsmore H.: European Models of School in Geneva for the past four Bilingual Education. Multilingual Matters 1993. years, and the community is in French, his competence in this French-speaking. They all speak all language is improving faster, since your Baker C. : A Parents´ and Teachers´ Guide to Bilingualism. Multilingual Matters 1995. four languages, but oral English is child is not only learning but learning strongest in terms of vocabulary, through French.This does not mean his Cunningham-Andersson U. and Andersson S. : though their written German is better. I English cannot develop as well, it means Growing up with two languages. Routledge, 1999. tell you this to emphasise that with the his linguistic knowledge in English at Grosjean F. : Life with two Languages. An right balance,and consistency in present is not adequate enough for him to Introduction to Bilingualism. Harvard University Press 1982. strategy, multilingualism is very express his thoughts. possible, and I highly encourage it. Hakuta K.: Mirror of Language. The Debate on You need to give your child plenty of Bilingualism. Basic Books 1987. Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa exposure to the English language through Harding E. and Riley P. : The Bilingual Family: a www.Multi-Faceta.com storytelling, games, songs and learning to Handbook for Parents. Cambridge University Press. Tracey’s books: do new things. You should keep speaking 1986. Raising Multilingual Children: Foreign English to him and make sure you supply Saunders G.: Bilingual Children: From Birth to Language Acquisition and Children Bergin & him with the vocabulary and idioms he Teens. Multilingual Matters 1988. Garvey, 2001 might know in French but need in The Multilingual Mind: Issues Discussed by, for, English. However do not force your child and about People Living with Many Languages to speak English or refuse to answer him Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. when he addresses you in French. You could inhibit his desire to communicate in The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003 7

LA JOLIE RONDE We continued over the years, juggling in the 70s and 80s. Although we are two languages in Sweden, and found it definitely still in the ‘Do Forget the Home Are you a fluent French speaker? stimulating. The bigger brothers retained Language!’ period, there are some Do you want to be your own boss? a relaxed attitude towards bilingualism, encouraging signs. In the wake of the speaking two languages but never making ethnic revival, many linguistic minorities Why not run your own part-time business teaching French to 3-11 year olds a big issue out of it, while little brother are intensifying their efforts to maintain following a proven, structured held the Finnish flag high, discussing and develop their languages. This programme? language issues or fighting ethnic tendency is clearly visible among Sweden prejudice outside the home. The elder (Skutnabb-Kangas, 1987; Huss & Course & training provided. brothers are now 26 and 29 years old, Lindgren, 1999), the Tornedalians (Huss, Low start-up costs. while little brother is 21. A couple of 1999) and the Sámi. years ago our eldest son came back after a For further details call Christine The literature on child bilingualism Stephenson on 01949 839715. long stay in China with a Chinese wife, another reinforcement of our family’s available for parents has grown enormously over the past two decades. Email:[email protected] details removed multilingualism. Website: www.lajolieronde.co.uk However, easy access to information and What do the boys themselves think about research results does not imply that they The Happy Way To Learn French their bilingualism? When asked about it, are utilised by political decision-makers. they all say that it has been a privilege. Policy on mother-tongue instruction or They have all done well both in school bilingual school tends to be based on the Creating a Bilingual Family... and socially and appear not to be upset personal opinions of key people or on From page 5 when someone makes a joke about their ‘common-sense’ notions of what is Swedish remained seemingly the same, considered to be ‘in the best interest of the while my husband felt he was under child’. Current debate in the media therefore sometimes reminds one, rather pressure, as he was the one now “...a result of their bilingualism responsible for minority language depressingly, of the assimilation period of development. is their open-mindedness, their the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to interest in all languages and hoping that Sweden will be influenced by Our third child was born in Helsinki and their curiosity about other was only one year old when we moved Continued on page 8 back to Sweden. By that time, the elder cultures.” brothers had become accustomed to THE CARE AND EDUCATION speaking Finnish with each other and OF YOUNG BILINGUALS Finnish was their stronger language. We expected that, back in Sweden, Swedish Finnish background. What I myself want Colin Baker would replace Finnish as the dominant to believe is a result of their bilingualism language and we wanted to postpone this is their open-mindedness, their interest in as much as possible. With that in mind, all languages and their curiosity about we told the boys, then six and nine, that other cultures. One of the boys said once, their little brother would not hear much when asked whether there were any Finnish in Sweden and therefore it was differences between Finnish people and important that they always speak Finnish Swedish people, that they were really to him. Both listened and, amazing as it very alike: the Swedes thought everything may sound, they have spoken Finnish to should be as it was in Sweden, while him ever since, even after reverting to Finns thought everything should be as it Swedish with each other. There are was in Finland. If he pointed out to the therefore interesting patterns of language Swedes that something was different in Finland but worked equally well, they Written by a leading expert in the field, choice in our family: Finnish between the this book is an introduction for all children and me and between little brother could not understand it at all. In the same way, the Finns could not believe that the professionals working with bilingual and the bigger brothers; Swedish between children. For speech therapists, doctors, the bigger brothers, between my husband Swedish way was feasible. He knew himself that both ways worked, and that psychologists, counsellors, teachers and and myself and between my husband and special needs personnel, the book all the children. many monocultural people could only addresses most important issues at a appreciate their own, singular reality. practical level. Easy to reaad by busy In spite of the fact that the boys shared the I dare not have too high hopes for the professionals, a fast but expert same home environment and were introduction is assured. The book exposed to the same kind of bilingual future, linguistically speaking. Naturally, addresses a comprehensive range of upbringing, they responded in different I hope that the boys will have enough topics including: ways. Little brother, who was too young contact with Finnish so that it will not when we returned to Sweden to remember fade away. I am happy that all three also – The Nature of Bilingual Children read books in Finnish, even if not nearly – Ethnic Identity his time in Finland, eventually became the – Codeswitching ‘most Finnish’ and would shout: ‘Speak as many as in Swedish or even English. Due to lack of bilingual education, the – The Advantage of the Bilingual Child Finnish!’ when he passed the bigger – Bilingual Special Education brothers’ room and heard them speak boys’ strongest language by far is Swedish and it is uncertain whether – Bilingualism and Thinking Swedish with each other, something – Bilingual Classrooms which I would never dare to do myself in Finnish will live on in their own future – Home and School Relationships order not to make the boys negatively families. But there is a better chance that predisposed toward Finnish. Somehow, bilingualism is some form, at least in Pbk ISBN 1-85359-465-2, £9.95/ US$15.95 this was tolerated by the elder brothers, as Swedish and Chinese, will occur in this an idiosyncracy of the youngest one. generation. The situation in Sweden is www.multilingual-matters.com also vastly different now from what it was 8 The Bilingual Family Newsletter 2003

The editor, with the help of the International Editorial Board, is happy to answer any queries you may have on bilingualism /biculturalism. We CONTACTS reserve the right to edit any letters published. If you wish your name and address to be included in the contact Editors: Marjukka Grover & Sami Grover section, please send us the following information: Editorial Board: Name, address, languages spoken in the family, children’s Alathea Anderssohn, El Jadida, Morocco. birth dates and specification of the types of families with whom Colin Baker, Bangor, Wales, Great Britain. you would like to get in touch. Suzanne Barron-Hauwaert, Bassersdorf, Switzerland. Jayson Campeau, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. James Crawford, Silver Spring, USA. Austria Terry Haywood, Milano, Italy. Mag. Rosario Quevedo-Pereyra de Pribyl 0676 923 6901 Christine Helot, Strasborg, France. Li Wei, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Great Britain. [email protected] Anne-Maria de Mejíá, Cali, Colombia. Peruvian/ Autrian family with a young baby (8 months) would like to Eugenia Papadaki, Milano, Italy. meet other families in Vienna or nearby (Germany, Switzerland also) Michael Rosanova, Oak Park, Illinois, USA. who have the same language combination. Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Quito, Ecuador. Masayo Yamamoto, Nara, Japan. Germany If you do not already subscribe , use the form below to enter a Sandra Brandstetter [email protected] subscription for the next four issues. If you know of any other families Ich möchte gerne französisch-deutsche Familien in Rosenheim und who may be interested in BFN, enter their address on the form and we Umgebung (München in Bayern) kennenlernen. Mein Ziel wäre, will send them a free sample of a recent issue. regelmäßige Kontakte mit solchen Familien zu pflegen und eventuell eine Spielgruppe für Kindern französisch-deutscher Familien zu gründen. Multilingual Matters Contact details removed Frankfurt Lodge, Clevedon Hall, Victoria Road Portugal Clevedon, England. BS21 7HH Tel: + 44-(0)1275-876519; Fax:+44-(0)1275-871673 Cláudia S. Sarrico & Julian H. Tice 933 838 282 E-mail: [email protected] Portugese-British family, one daughter called Matilda (born http://www.multilingual-matters.com 16-03-2002). Her e-mail address is [email protected]. We would Orders and contributions from North America should be sent to: like to get in touch with other families in the North of Portugal, who are raising bilingual Portuguese-English young children. Multilingual Matters North America 825 North 27th Street UK Philadelphia, PA 19130 USA Cristina Rodwell 02084408333 Tel: (+1) 215 765 3599 Fax: (+1) 215 765 7699 Italian – English Family, St Albans, Herts, two children,a girl ( 5 yrs) and a boy (3 mnths), would love to meet with families with the same language combination nearby – we would also be interested to meet with other ‘European’ or ‘half-European’ families too! Vol.20, No.3, 2003 GLOSSARY NAME...... ADDRESS...... Productive Bilingualism: Speaking and writing in the first and second language (as well as listening and reading)...... TOWN...... Phonology: The sound system of a language. COUNTRY...... PostCode...... Plurilingual: Someone competent in two or more languages

Please enter a subscription to BFN £12.00 (US$18.00) Creating a Bilingual Family... from page 7 Please send me the book...... Payment or authority to charge your credit card (Visa/ Master/ Amex/ international moves on minority rights and linguistic rights, Switch Card) must accompany each order. another positive step would be the full acceptance and Remittance enclosed for £/ $...... promotion of family bilingualism in Swedish society, as well as Please make your cheques payable to Multilingual Matters increased bilingual pre-school and school options for children Charge my Visa/ Master/Amex/ Switch Card from these families and for other youngsters as well. Increased cultural and linguistic competence is urgently needed in today’s Card No...... world, while the resources available in Sweden in terms of Expiry Date...... linguistic and ethic diversity are still largely untapped. Signature...... Footnotes PLEASE NOTE you can order all Multilingual Matters books either by 1. .Examples include The Bilingual Family Newsletter from England, the bulletin sending the order and payment by post, or through our fully of Interessengemeinschaft Mehrsperachiger Familien in Germany and of searchable, secure web-site. It offers 20%DISCOUNTon books (plus Föreningen for Flerspråkiga Familjer in Sweden. shipping) to any address in the world. The system is fully compliant 2. . with the latest security software, so you can order with confidence! While the stigma of Finnish is gradually fading in Sweden, people still tend to be surprised by a person who speaks accent-free fluent Swedish and who also Please send a sample copy of BFN to: knows Finnish. Knowledge of Finnish in Sweden has, in the eyes of the NAME...... majority, long been associated with low competence in Swedish, as well as with other problems. ADDRESS...... 3. Föreningen för Flerspråkiga Familjer (Association for Multilingual Families), ...... FFF, founded in 1986...... This is an edited version of a chapter in Rights to Language: Equity, Power and Education edited by Rober Phillipson, published by Laurence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey Printed by Severn Graphics, Clevedon, England. (2000). Copies can be ordered online at: www.erlbaum.com ISSN 0952-4096 © 2003 Multilingual Matters Ltd