
Looking Toward the Future: Championing Bilingual Education Friday, April 24 at 5:00 pm EST Register via Zoom
Continue readingLooking Toward the Future: Championing Bilingual Education Friday, April 24 at 5:00 pm EST Register via Zoom
Continue readingSt. John’s University hosted my talk on the Bilingual Revolution and the future of education and I enjoyed every minute of it! I was asked to present in French so that everyone in the audience, which included students and faculty from all over the world, could put themselves through an immersive experience in a language that was not theirs. Professor Puig was there to provide some translation when I felt the students needed some help. This bilingual talk idea worked out well. The students seemed to play along and accepted the challenge. They experienced bilingual education firsthand. The next day, I heard from one student from Colombia who said she was able to understand everything. This is what she writes: “I took two courses [of French] in college but until last night I had not been able to prove to myself whether or not I could actually understand the language in a real life setting – and I could….” Kudos to Dean Katia Passerini and Basilio G. Monteiro for coming up with this idea and for inviting me. You might have started a new kind of experience!
Continue readingParents in Manhattan won an important victory and were able to convince schools authorities about creating a French dual-language program in a public school in the Upper East Side. Their journey, which started two years ago, has culminated in a series of recent meetings with elected officials, school leaders, and community leaders. Hailing from a number of countries, some parents want access to English or French and the equal opportunity they provide. Others want to sustain their heritage, and utilize bilingual education as a tool to do so. Others are interested in the benefits of bilingualism for cognitive development. Others are interested in the acquisition of a second, third, or fourth language because of the professional opportunities and advantages it will yield. Ultimately, these perspectives share the same goal: to create a multilingual society with greater access to languages and cultures.
Continue readingMultilingual education and the Bilingual Revolution were the focus of an event which took place at the General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in New York and provided the perfect setting for launching Rewolucja dwujęzyczna, the Polish version of my book, The Bilingual Revolution.
Continue readingJoin us at St. John’s University in New York for a book talk “en français”
Full house in support of more French dual-language programs in New York organized by Stephane Lautner, a French-American parent who has worked tirelessly to create a new program in Manhattan. Salle pleine pour les programmes bilingues de New York avec une réunion organisée par Stéphane Lautner, un parent franco-américain qui travaille sans relâche pour créer un programme à Manhattan.
Continue readingI was at the Musée des civilisations noires in Dakar for a colloquium on bilingualism and bilingual education organized by Laurent Bonardi and Ecole Actuelle Bilingue. Ranka Bijeljac-Babic, Thierry Nazzi, Aliou Seck, and I brought different perspectives on the advantage and importance of bilingual education and bilingualism in our societies, and their potential for cognitive, cultural, and economic development.
Continue readingI was honored to receive the 2019 NY BilingualFair Leader Award. Congrats to fellow award recipients Maria Jaya, Jane Ross, Li Yan, Mariam Moustafa, Mino Lora. Thank you Emmanuel Saint-Martin, French Morning, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, NYC Councilman Mark D. Levine for a successful edition.
I was fortunate to be a guest of Sharjah Book Authority during the 2019 Sharjah International Book Fair in the UAE. This was my first time participating in the fair which welcomed over 2 million visitors from the Gulf region and over 60 countries. I took part in a discussion panel debating bilingualism and what the future of diverse bilingual education and communities hold. I also launched the Arabic version of my book, The Bilingual Revolution, thanks to a partnership with Austin Macauley Publishers. Overall, this has been a unique experience which I will never forget.
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