PIM (Partners in multilingualism)

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Since the beginning of the 1980s, Foyer has built up broad expertise in multilingual parenting, dealing with home languages and the learning of integration language(s). PIM (Partners in Multilingualism) is the team that pools and further develops expertise around this topic. We focus on supporting the family language policy and the cooperation between the school, family and other partners involves. With our offer we are present at crucial moments of growing up multilingual such as at the start of family expansion, the start of schoo, the transition from primary to secondary. Our projects are centred on Brussels but often grow from international cooperation and aim to build a bridge between research and practice.

For more informations or questions about a specific project, contact us at pim@foyer.be.

Language analysis and advice

PIM’s activities are aimed at supporting multilingual families and children. The language analysis and advice component is carried out in consultation with schools, CLB, social workers and parenting supporters from Brussels.

This way, we want to:

• Help gain insight into children’s language problems by identifying home language skills and language offerings in the family.
• Strengthen and adjust the parental support offer when this is a possible limiting factor in the child’s language learning process.
• Help parents reflect on language choices and approaches from the start (pre-school).

! This service is only available for (parents of) kids who go to a Dutch speaking school !

Information sessions for parents

We provide a wide range of sessions in Brussels, strengthening parents in their role in the multilingual education of their children. Specific themes we include include:

• Applying basic principles around multilingual parenting to your own family context;
• Addressing well-being in multilingual parenting;
• The home/school transition (ties in with the ‘warm transition’ theme);
• Strengthening language provision at home and the importance of reading aloud and storytelling

Practical details

• To apply: Dutch-speaking organisations and schools can request these sessions.
• Target audience: parents with children up to 12 years of age who follow Dutch speaking education.
• More information: pim@foyer.be
• An overview of the sessions can be found in this leaflet. (only available in Dutch)
• Every trimester we organise a webinar for young parents in three languages. You can pass this leaflet on to parents who have questions about their language choices and offerings.

! The sessions can be given in English or French, but the organisation or school must be dutch-speaking !

Screen time

We encourage parents to take a critical look at their children’s screen time. We also provide suggestions for responsible use with:

• a list of audio books in Dutch and other languages.
• a list of useful films and apps for practising Dutch

Planting languages – seeds of succes

The second European project on multilingualism, coordinated by Foyer, was completed at the end of 2021 and aims to support parents in multilingual parenting. It resulted in accessible materials that support parents in making up a strong plan and a stimulating approach to their multilingual education.

Realisations: www.plantinglanguages.com

Specific Goals

• Parents gradually reflect on language choices in their family;
• Parents and their social network engage together to create a stimulating language environment;
• Parents can adjust their family language policy;
• Professionals can guide parents through this process.

Target groups

• Future multilingual parents and multilingual parents with young children;
• Specific attention for parents with a migration background and refugee families;
• Professionals who work with these parents or their children;

How do we support multilingual families?

• Parents will find information and materials in five languages on the website;
• Parents can follow a group session or request personal advice;
• Professionals can get started with the parents themselves with the help of the manual;
• Professionals can request training;

PIM@Home

The core of the project consists of 10 short videos about language support in the home language. The videos, originally in Dutch, have been duplicated and recorded in 8 different languages: Classical Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, English, French, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu. The material can be used preventively. In addition, it can be used specifically when children are weaker for language and when a stronger language stimulation at home is a part of the solution-focused approach.

There is a supporting manual in Dutch that gives professionals ideas to get started with the parents themselves. Brussels schools and organizations can request a collaboration (pim@foyer.be).

SALTO

SALTO is a project for the languages at home and at school spoken by pupils in the first and second years of primary school.

Foyer has a team of trained parents who can provide language-stimulating activities in their home language at school. Schools, day-care centres, organisations and libraries can apply to Foyer to make use of this team.

In our team, we have trained parents who can give reading aloud and activities in the following languages:

Activities are available in 12 languages on the website: https://www.salto-project.be/

The aims of SALTO are:

• Children and their parents experience their home language together in a different way;
• Language sensitisation: children and their parents experience linguistic diversity;
• Strengthen the relationship between parents and teachers.

Saltino is a project on reading aloud and storytelling in the home language for young children (3 months to 2.5). The project continues in nurseries.

Liba Lingua

A strong start at school for multilingual children.

Does Lingua also remind you of language? That’s right! Languages are central in this game.
Liba is the Hungarian word for ‘goose’. Our game Liba Lingua is indeed a gooseboard game, but not just any…
Liba Lingua wants to help parents reflect on their child’s multilingual education at the start of school. Parents play the game together with a teacher, giving them the opportunity to start their collaboration in a fun way. The game is aimed at parents of children in Dutch-speaking schools.

With Liba Lingua we create a warm transition between home and school with three important messages:

• Home languages are important and must continue to grow.
• The enthusiasm of the parents is an important driving force in learning Dutch.
• Monitoring language development requires good communication between parents and school.

Pratical details

• The game costs 35 euros + shipping costs.
• Would you like to order or ask our support to get started with this game? Email to pim@foyer.be. You will also find the information in this brochure (in Dutch) and this video will give you a first impression.
• After playing the game you can give the parents a reminder. You can find these in different languages

Liba Lingua was developed with the financial support of Habilnet

TALES@Home

TALES@Home stands for ‘Talking About Language and EmotionS at Home’. The European project TALES@home helps multilingual families create a stimulating environment for language learning and well-being. We developed an app that allows parents and children to map emotions related to language. The strongly visual approach invites reflection and conversation. This digital tool strengthens positive emotions and attitudes within the family in order to contribute to well-being, social cohesion and language skills of all family members. TALES@Home is meant for multilingual families and Professionals working with multilingual adults, children and young people in the context of language learning.

The central theme of well-being, emotions and language is fully in line with HaBilNet’s objectives. Thanks to HaBilNet, this tool was able to get an update in 2022 and is now fully available again.

• Here you can find the tool talesathome
• This manual will help you on your way.
• As an example, here you will find a collection of language stories from refugee families who have started working with the tool.

Educational Material

Our specialist team at Foyer developed a lot of educational material over the years. Below you can find a selection that is always available.