November 21, 2023

The Power of Connecting with Multilingual Learners

27 minutes

Unravel the world of bilingual education with our special guest, Karen Nemef, a celebrated author, consultant, and staunch advocate for high-quality early learning experiences for young multilingual learners. Throughout this episode, Karen enlightens us on the power of bilingualism, offering a profound understanding of what it means to be a dual language learner and the importance of connecting with these children in their languages, regardless of their proficiency level.

Karen brings her expertise to bear as she shares fascinating research-backed evidence, demonstrating that supporting a child's home language not only helps them excel in English but in other languages too. She discusses the concept of "banking time" when teacher and student speak different languages, offers practical tips on how to engage with a child who speaks a different language, and emphasizes the critical role of building a genuine connection with the child through nonverbal skills and shared play materials.

Topics Discussed in This Episode

[00:00:51] Karen’s background and current role

[00:04:25] How to define a multilingual or dual language learner

[00:06:50] The strength of bilingualism

[00:07:19] What interactions look like when children and teachers speak different languages

[00:09:39] What the research says about how multilingual learners can thrive in the early childhood education setting

[00:13:52] How teachers can learn to interact with students in their home languages

[00:16:39] Training teachers on the importance of listening

[00:17:50] Banking time when you don’t speak the same language as the child

[00:23:02] The multiple reasons to involve the parents and family of the child

[00:24:27] Key takeaways for teachers to practice with their students

Resources