FOUNDER OF MULTILINGUAL FAMILIES
Ute Limacher-Riebold, PhD, is the owner and founder of Multilingual-Families.com and its vibrant private facebook group. She grew up as a simultaneous bilingual, speaking German and Italian, acquired Swiss German independently at age 4, and added French, English and Latin at school. Later she learned various Italian dialects, Old French, Old Provençal, Old Catalan and Spanish at University, Dutch (and Flemish) after a move to the Netherlands in 2005, and constantly adds other languages to her repertoire. Ute has a PhD in Romance Studies (French Philology, i.e. medieval Literature and Linguistics), and has worked as Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich’s Department of Romance Studies (1995-2004), taught Italian historical linguistics and studied & researched about Italian dialects and minority languages. Ute’s fascination for language development, change and maintenance, along with her personal experiences with (various) language shifts, inspired her to support multilingual families around the globe in fostering their languages and cultures while embracing new ones.
At Ute’s International Lounge she offers individual consultations, workshops, webinars and trainings, providing practical, evidence-based advice, and at her Academy she offers online courses and webinars.
Ute’s passion for language evolution and change drives her to inspire parents, teachers, professionals, and children to embrace linguistic diversity and lifelong curiosity. – More links here
Her three multilingual adult children, raised in Italy and the Netherlands, are fluent in German, Dutch, and English, with varying proficiency in Italian, French, Spanish, and self-taught languages like Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Thai.
Ute envisions a world where multilingualism is the norm and strives, through Multilingual Families, to build a supportive global community.
CO-FOUNDER OF MULTILINGUAL FAMILIES
Chryssa Oikonomidou is the founder of Paidokipos, a creative Greek teacher, storyteller, and animator of interactive educational theater events. With a background as Senior Executive, she leverages over a decade of experience across various sectors to enhance her work in education, bolstered by her studies in education and multilingualism. Having not enjoyed school as a child and inspired by her two bilingual children, she is determined to make her lessons engaging and enjoyable for her students. She combines her diverse skills in didactics and project management to foster a rich educational landscape for young learners.
CONTENT CREATORS
Alessia Raineri PhD, is a linguist from the University of Zurich specialized in multilingual acquisition and dyslexia. She is a guest professor at the Zhejiang University of Technology of Hangzhou and she is a certified teacher of Italian as Second or Foreign Language and a translator of children’s books.
In the last 23 years Alessia has lived in 8 countries, she and her family are still on the move but they are based in the south west of France. In 2022 Alessia founded Multilingual Land, a consultancy company that helps parents to raise happy and confident multilingual children.
She is a mother of three multilingual children, aged 11, 9 and 5, growing up with French, Italian, Dutch, English and some Chinese.
Her dreams are manifold. One of them is to transmit to others her inner sense of curiosity for languages and diversity.
Please visit her website Multilingual Land
Find her on: IG @multilingual_land and LinkedIn
Email: alessia@multilingualland.com
Find Alessia’s posts here.
Elisavet Arkolaki is the author of a successful bilingual book series for children, with books available in 50+ languages: “A Sea of Stars” “Where am I from?”, “Cousins Forever”, “Happiness Street”, “Nelly’s Box”, and “Summer with Grandpa”. Passionate about travel and inspired by global learning, she raises her children between countries, cultures, and languages. She writes to build cultural understanding and sensitivity in young children while they are still eager to learn. She graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Global Marketing (MSc), the University of Athens with a degree in French Language and Literature (BA), and was awarded a certificate of proficiency in English from the University of Cambridge.
Please have a look at Elisavet’s successful bilingual book series for children.
Please visit her website MaltaMum
Find her on: FB Elisavet Arkolaki and LinkedIn
GUEST AUTHORS
Artemis Pepelasi is a dedicated therapist and special education teacher with expertise in early intervention for autistic children and students with learning difficulties. She holds an MSc in Education and Child Studies (Parenting and Child Development) from Leiden University. With experience in ABA-based therapy, shadow teaching, psychoeducational programs, and parental counseling for multilingual families, Artemis combines practical expertise with advanced research skills. Fluent in Greek and English, she is passionate about fostering developmental growth and inclusion for children and adolescents. Artemis is skilled in delivering tailored interventions, empowering families, and enhancing life skills for individuals with developmental disorders.
Genoveva Geppaart is native Dutch. She was born in a village near Zwolle. At the age of four, she moved to a village near Breda, where she spent the rest of her childhood. She studied library and information science in Tilburg and The Hague.
For many years she worked at KPN, a major Dutch telecommunications provider and former monopolist, as information researcher. She also wrote many reports based on desk research. Since summer 2005 she works with ACCESS, an independent not-for-profit organization serving internationals to successfully settle in the Netherlands. Her activities here are also focused on information research and writing.
Genoveva is interested in many subjects, but languages, history and other cultures are her favorites.
Hadis Tamleh
Hadis Tamleh is a PhD researcher at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics. Her research focuses on the multilingual practices of Iranian migrant families in the Netherlands, exploring how they navigate home language maintenance across generations.
Hadis’s academic interest in multilingualism is deeply rooted in her personal experience. She was born and raised in Kermanshah, Iran, a city where Kurdish is widely spoken alongside Persian, the country’s official language. Although Kurdish was the community language, her parents primarily spoke Persian at home. As a result, she did not develop proficiency in Kurdish during her childhood, which created emotional and communicative challenges, particularly in connecting with relatives who predominantly spoke Kurdish. This experience sparked a personal and academic journey.
Motivated by a desire to reclaim her heritage language, Hadis began learning Kurdish and later conducted research on why many families in Kermanshah choose not to pass on the Kurdish language to their children.
As a researcher, Hadis sees it as her mission to raise awareness about the value of home languages and the importance of maintaining them across generations. She believes that every language matters; not only as a means of communication, but as a carrier of identity, connection, and cultural knowledge.
Contact: h.tamleh@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Hello, hello, hola! I am Wendy van Dalen, and I enjoy writing for multilingual families as an expert in teaching Dutch to children at home and abroad, primarily as their second language. Expat and repat, trilingual, Dutch, entrepreneur, founder of Dutch for Children, wife, and mother of two multilingual children. This is me in a nutshell, and in no particular order.
If you would like to read more about Wendy’s expertise, life, or business, please check out her websites Dutch for Children and Online Dutch for Expats, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.
Multilingual Families is dedicated to supporting families living abroad in their journey to raise multilingual children, and for parents to maintain their languages across the lifespan. We understand the unique challenges and opportunities of nurturing multiple languages in our family in a foreign environment.
Our platform provides resources, community support, and expert guidance to help families embrace and maintain their linguistic and cultural heritage.
At Multilingual Families, our mission is to empower and support multilingual families living abroad by providing comprehensive resources, expert guidance, and a nurturing community. We aim to foster language development, cultural preservation, and connections across diverse linguistic backgrounds.
By creating an inclusive environment, we help families embrace the richness of their languages and cultures, ensuring every member feels valued and equipped to navigate the complexities of multilingual living.
Our efforts are grounded in research and best practices from the field of multilingual education and intercultural communication (Grosjean, 2010; De Houwer, 2015).
We envision a world where multilingual families living abroad thrive in multiple languages, celebrate their heritage languages, and seamlessly integrate additional ones while adapting to diverse cultural environments.
At Multilingual Families, we aspire to be the leading advocate and resource hub for these families, promoting the benefits of a lifelong multilingualism and cultural diversity.
We strive to foster a sense of belonging and unity within the global community of internationals, guided by principles of intercultural competence and inclusivity (Byram, 1997; García & Wei, 2014).
At Multilingual Families, we are committed to the following core values that guide our mission and vision.
These values are rooted in research and best practices in the fields of multilingual education and intercultural communication (Grosjean, 2010; De Houwer, 2015; Bialystok, 2011; Baker, 2014).
Empowerment: We believe in empowering families with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate multilingual living confidently. Our resources and expert guidance ensure parents and children are well-equipped to foster their linguistic and cultural heritage (De Houwer, 2015; Bialystok, 2011).
Cultural Preservation and Celebration: We value the rich cultural heritages that multilingual families bring to the global community. Our platform promotes the preservation and celebration of these diverse cultures, recognizing their importance in shaping identity and fostering intercultural understanding (García & Wei, 2014; Byram, 1997; Fishman, 1991).
Community: We value the strength of a supportive community where families can connect, share experiences, and support each other. By creating an inclusive environment, we help families feel valued and connected (Byram, 1997; Cummins, 2000).
Inclusivity: We celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity, ensuring our resources and support are accessible and relevant to all families. Our platform promotes the preservation and celebration of diverse cultures (García & Wei, 2014; Fishman, 1991).
Intercultural Understanding: We foster intercultural understanding that avoids prejudice and negative biases. Our programs and resources enhance intercultural competence, essential for today’s globalized world (Byram, 1997; Bennett, 1993).
Expertise: We provide reliable, evidence-based advice from language consultants, speech and language therapists, and other professionals. Our commitment to excellence ensures that our families receive the best support possible (Grosjean, 2010; De Houwer, 2015; Baker, 2014).
Adaptability and Flexibility: We understand the unique challenges faced by families living abroad and the need for adaptable solutions. Our resources and programs are designed to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs of multilingual families in diverse cultural contexts (Grosjean, 2010; Baker, 2014).
Mutual understanding: We foster mutual understanding, respect, and appreciation across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Our inclusive approach ensures that every family member feels valued (Byram, 1997; Cummins, 2000).
- Sustainability: We aim to empower families to pass on their languages and cultures to future generations, promoting a rich tapestry of global diversity. Our advocacy for multilingualism and cultural diversity supports sustainable linguistic and cultural practices (García & Wei, 2014; Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000).
- Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Multilingual Matters.
- De Houwer, A. (2015). Bilingual First Language Acquisition. Multilingual Matters.
- García, O., & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual: Life and Reality. Harvard University Press.
(find more of our references here )
Would you like to contribute to this website?
If you are a linguist, a SLT, a psychologist, a teacher or a blogger, expert in the field of multilingualism, raising children with multiple languages and staying multilingual across the lifespan and you would like to share:
– your posts about multilingualism/raising multilinguals/becoming and staying multilingual across the lifespan
– an excerpt (max 100 words) and a link to your posts and articles you previously published
– your videos about the topic
– your resources for multilingual families
then please fill in this form.
At this point we are looking for max. 4 links to posts, resources or videos per person.
Please note that all content shared with me is subject to professional assessment.
Hi, I wasn’t sure if my initial email landed in your inbox, so reaching out here too just incase:
I’m working with a brand that helps people find deals on stuff they already use—same kind of brands and products you already mention like Rosetta Stone, Babbel, & Zoom. We’re looking to get a simple mention of your choice (such as the language learning tips & insights you share) in a recent blog post or one you’re already working on.
It’s super quick + totally paid, and we’re fast on payment. If you’re interested, I’d love to send over a more formal pitch & examples of how other bloggers have done it!
Hi Hannah, we didn’t receive your email. Can you please retry at multilingfamilies@gmail.com? Thank you.