Early language learning

Increasing numbers of children learn two or more languages at the same time, before the onset of adolescence. This process can be facilitated by various situations: a bilingual family environment, living in a country where a different language is spoken compared to the family's language, attending a school where the language of instruction differs from the one spoken at home, and so on. However, even in monolingual contexts, much can be done to introduce children to other languages, using their innate curiosity and learning ability.

Here are some suggestions:

The most important project, in which the Provincial Department for Italian Culture has been taking part for years, through the Office for Bilingualism and Foreign Languages and together with Rai Fiction and the European Community, is undoubtedly “Hocus & Lotus”, a cartoon series in five different languages, created to actively promote early exposure to languages, even within the family.

For years now, the Multilingual Centre of Bolzano and the Multimedia Language Centre of Merano have been offering resources, tools and suggestions to support language learning from an early age: 

• materials in many languages, all available on loan, free of charge: illustrated books, including bilingual ones, courses for the various languages, multi-media materials suitable for children, stories and digital fairy tales, audio-books and interactive games
• A series of information texts about early language learning (specialized section Bilingual and Multilingual Education)
• list of websites (Italian or German) containing suggestions and strategies on how to support the early learning of more than one language at home, at school and during free time
• Ten useful tips on raising a bilingual child (Document available in Italian or German)

Finally, the initiative "Bookstart – Babies Love Books" (link to the website in Italian) aims to help instill a love of books in children and at the same time motivate parents to read aloud. Interested parents who join the initiative receive two book packages as gifts and can also consult reading suggestions published every month.