In Kobe on Saturday, 24 September 2011, the Bilingualism SIG co-hosted a panel on bilingual child-raising.
For many foreign and international families living in Japan, there is both a need and a desire to raise their children in both Japanese and another language. Sometimes it is because the parents speak and use two languages in their daily lives. Other times it is a conscious decision to expose the children to a certain language from an early age. Whatever the reason, bringing up a child bilingually is not always as easy as it seems.
This event aimed to bring together a panel of parents who have had practical experience in raising children bilingually in order to share their stories and advice for others in similar situations. The panel discussion took the form of a guided question-and-answer session, and there was plenty of opportunity for audience participation.
PANELISTS
•
York Weatherford (Kyoto)
•Janina Tubby (Kobe)
•Steve Nishida (Nara)
MODERATOR
•Tim Greer (Kobe)
The panel was followed by a catered barbeque dinner, which allowed the participants and their families to get to know each other better.
