Professor Antonella Sorace is the founder and Director of Bilingualism Matters.
We need your help
Like all small organisations we rely on the generous support of our friends and colleagues to help us realise our goals. Your donations, small or large, help us work with children and families across Scotland and beyond and address the considerable gaps in provision for child bilingualism. Make a donation
Benefits of bilingualism
Research has shown that bilingualism is beneficial for children's development and their future. Children exposed to different languages become more aware of different cultures, other people and other points of view. But they also tend to be better than monolinguals at 'multitasking' and focusing attention, they often are more precocious readers, and generally find it easier to learn other languages. Bilingualism gives children much more than two languages!
Recent events
- Three seminars on Bilingualism: IL BILINGUISMO SARDO - ITALIANO: UN PRIVILEGIO E UNA GRANDE OPPORTUNITA, Sardinia, 20-22 May 2013.
- BM presentation & discussion at the Edinburgh Cafe Scientifique: Is bilingualism good or bad for you? Filmhouse Cinema Café Bar, 13 May 2013
- BM talk for parents at Broughton High School, Edinburgh, 8 May 2013
- BM talk for Ragged University: Language learning in children and adults, Central Library Edinburgh, 16 March 2013
- MFL Conference: One brain, two languages, many advantages: why invest in early language learning, Wellington College, Berkshire, 25 February 2013
- Celebration of Language and Cultures, Drummond Community High School, Edinburgh, 23 February 2013
- Innovative Learning Week, University of Edinburgh: Speaking in Tongues - How to Engage Research in Society?, 20 February 2013
- A brain, two languages, many advantages: why Gaelic-English bilingualism matters, Isle of Islay, 18 February 2013
- Roundtable discussion: The Benefits and Challenges of Multilingual Business, Financial Times HQ, London, 15 February 2013 (see also the article in the Financial Times of 14 March 2013, © Financial Times Ltd)
- BM talk for Ragged University: How do children learn two languages?, The Counting House, Edinburgh, 7 February 2013
- Our international conference Multilingualism in Scotland and Europe, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 4 February 2013
Fifth Branch of Bilingualism Matters in Cagliari, Sardinia
Our fifth branch of Bilingualism Matters opened in Cagliari, Sardinia on 27 November 2012. For more information about the launch click here and for information on the branch click here (in Sardinian).
Fourth branch of Bilingualism Matters in Trento, Italy
Bilingualism Matters opened their latest branch in Trento, Italy called 'Bilinguismo Conta' on 18 October 2012. Click here for more information on the launch, and click here to go to the website (in Italian).
Third branch of Bilingualism Matters in Thessaloniki, Greece
For more information on 'Me 2 Glosses', the Greek branch of Bilingualism Matters, visit this website (in Greek). See also the news item under our video resources.
Second Branch Of Bilingualism Matters in the western isles, Scotland
The second branch 'Bilingualism Matters in the Western Isles' was launched in Stornoway on 20 October 2011. See the invitation and information leaflet. See also the news item under our video resources.
First branch of Bilingualism Matters in Tromsø, Norway.
Antonella Sorace and the team of the first branch of Bilingualism Matters, Flere språk
til flere in Tromsø. Information about the launch can be found here.
BILFAM-Let's Become a BILingual FAMily!
Bilingualism Matters is a partner in the 'Let's become a BILingual FAMily' project funded by the European Commission. 125 families have been followed over a period of 16 months where parents and children have been learning a second language together in a fun and innovative way based on the Narrative Format.
Piccolingo
Bilingualism Matters collaborated with PICCOLINGO, a campaign of the European Union to increase awareness of the importance of early language learning in pre-school children. See the Edinburgh blog here and watch short video presentations of Piccolingo here.
