Promoting Positive Ethnic and Cultural Identities:
Watch our “Valuing Our Heritage Language” video series which interviews families about how they value their culture and native language at home.
- Video 1– The Importance of Keeping the Home Language
- Video 2– Enhancing the Home Language with Technology and the Arts for All Children, Including Special Needs Learners!
Benefits of Being Bilingual:
Why Being Bilingual is Good for Your Brain –This 5-minute video shows some benefits in the brain’s neural networking of being a multilingual learner.
Autistic Children and Bilingualism — This information guide for parents with autism explains information in multiple languages about why being bilingual can help their autistic children.
Dual Language Expectations — This article explains the benefits and steps that families can take to help their children become bilingual.
Seal of Biliteracy — Here are some additional links to websites that give information and tips about gaining and testing for the Seal of Biliteracy to award students. The first two are for the Seal of Biliteracy in Maryland and the overview of approved assessments in Maryland. Next is a comparison of assessment resources. The last is a partial list of colleges in various states that award credit for earning the Seal of Biliteracy.
The Importance of Home Language — This resource for families (which is translated into some common languages) share short, practical ideas for encouraging the use of home language with children so they are truly multilingual.
Transnational and Transborder Multilingual Learners — This 30-minute panel discussion from the Center for Applied Linguistics help teachers and families to think about the cultural assets and settings in which children and families are living sometimes as multilingual learners. The term “immigrant” may not capture the rich cycles of life that can reflect our children’s experiences in a culturally-responsive way.