Websites for Multilingual Families

Websites for Bilingual/Multilingual Families

These websites may support families who are raising bilingual/multilingual children.

The Importance of Home Language Series

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/home-language.html

This series of handouts provides basic information on topics related to children learning two or more languages. The handouts emphasize the benefits of being bilingual, the importance of maintaining home language, and the value of becoming fully bilingual.

Colorin Colorado

http://www.colorincolorado.org/families/

This website has many resources for multilingual families, particularly information about how to support your child’s language and reading development.

Multilingual Families

http://www.multilingual-families.eu/home

This website offers parent guides (in various languages) on reasons for raising a child as multilingual and how to raise a multilingual child.  The “Repository” has links to resources like articles, studies and books to learn more about multilingualism.

Home Language Resources

http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/sources.html

This page is meant to help parents find books, music and other materials to make family bilingualism easier and more fun. Some are sorted by language and are found on their own pages.

Multilingual Living

http://www.multilingualliving.com/

“Multilingual Living is a place where parents raising children in more than one language and culture can find inspiration, tools, advice, wisdom and support!”

Armenia

Want to learn more about Armenia?  Here are some links!


Armenian Library and Museum of America

(http://www.almainc.org/)

Right here in Watertown. Field trips are encouraged and welcomed!

  
The Armenian Review (in Watertown)

(http://www.armenianreview.org/index.htm)

"The Armenian Review is an English language, multidisciplinary, peer reviewed journal published since 1948 and dedicated to exploring issues related to Armenia and Armenians."

Armenian Research Center at University of Michigan--Dearborn

(http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/facts/)

The three fact sheets on the home page are helpful and an interesting link to some Armenian literature (translated) can be found on the right.

Ramadan 2009

Ramadan ended yesterday with Eid'l Fitr.

Pictures from Ramadan observances around the world can be seen at Boston.com:

Ramadan 2009 - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Posted using ShareThis

New to English (Interactive Map from the New York Times)

"English language learners are among the nation's fastest growing group of students."

See how MA compares to the rest of the country.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/13/us/ELL-students.html?ref=education

Interactive Immigration Map from the New York Times

Check out Middlesex County's immigration history!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html?ref=us

Russia (Cherkess)

The following information can assist with understanding the culture of Cherkess refugees from Cherkessk, Russia:

Ethnic Group: Cherkess - an indigenous people of the North Caucasus.

Location: southwestern Russia, near Georgia.












Map from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chechnya_and_Caucasus.png)
Languages: Circassian and Russian

Religion: Cherkess are predominantly Sunni Muslim.

Independence Movement: Circassians have long been seeking independence from Russia, having a unique culture and religion from most of the nation.

Reason for Refugees from this Region: From what I understand so far, the fighting in Chechnya and Ossetia has spilled over into the Cherkessk region. An article referenced below states that the North Caucasus region has criminal gangs and Islamic militants. Al Qaeda (allegedly?) has cells in this region. I'll update this information once I know more.

Current Tensions: "The country’s North Caucasus region (e.g. Cherkessk) has been hit by an increasing wave of violence, much of it blamed on criminal gangs and Islamic militants, but also on fighting spilling over from Chechnya."

-Fatima Tlisova, December 26, 2006, St. Petersburg Times
http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=19890

History of Genocide: There was a Circassian Genocide in the mid-1800s by Czarist Russia. Only 10% of the Cherkess population remained in Cherkessk afterwards. Many of the exiles went to Turkey and, I've heard, Kazakhstan (where many died of starvation).

"The genocide committed against the Circassian nation by Czarist Russia in the 1800s was the biggest genocide of
the nineteenth century."

- Antero Leitzinger, April 2009, "The Circassian Genocide"

http://www.circassianworld.com/new/war-and-genocide/1121-circassian-genocide-leitzinger.html

Useful Links:
Circassian World
An award-winning Circassian journalist, Fatima Tlisova, recommended this website to learn more about Circassian history, culture and current events.

Articles about Cultural Awareness

"Cultural Awareness Builds Tolerance and Sensitivity" from The Essential News, Volume 2 Issue 1
"Creating Awareness" among K-12 students (from Safe State.org)