When you are French living in New York, when you raise your children at the Lycée Français de New York, you make the choice of bilingualism, sometimes without fully understanding what it might mean for them. At the Lycée Français de New York, our children adopt a bilingualism all their own, giving an opportunity for both languages to flourish, sometimes in the same sentence, so as not to have to “choose” one over the other. “As-tu vu le dernier match d’Arsenal? Oh Man! Abou Diaby really hurt himself!” They like their two languages, their double, even triple identities. Their particular form of franglais will not be the topic of our conference on April 13, which we hope to delve into more deeply at another time, which is to say total bilingualism with French side by side with English, like two continents separated by an ocean.
So, are our children, with their agile brains, who move fluidly from one language to another in one text message, different from other children? On Saturday, the 13th of April, experts on the impact of bilingualism on brain development, including Ellen Bialystok, professor and head of the Psychology Department at York University in Canada, and Regina Sullivan, head of the Emotional Brain Institute at New York University, will answer that question. The head of the Lycée Français, Sean Lynch, who observes bilingual brains in action every day, will share his perspective, as one who knows this territory well in his work and his own life.
Ellen Bialystok, professor and head of the Psychology Department at York University in Canada, will be part of the panel “Language, Emotions, and the Bilingual Brain”.
Bilingualism in all its forms is in style at the moment, and French is not lagging behind, as we know well from the multitude of bilingual programs being supported and developed by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York, and notably by Fabrice Jaumont, co-organizer of the conference.
A number of thought leaders in the field of bilingual teaching will also be present for a second round table, which will bring together researchers Nancy Rhodes, director of Education and Foreign Languages at the Center for Applied Linguistics; Ofelia Garcia, professor at the City University of New York (CUNY); and Marie Bouteillon, head of Bilingual Classes at PS 58 in Brooklyn, one of the early experimental schools in bilingual French teaching in New York, as well as Vannina Boussouf, who many of you know as head of Primary at the Lycee Francais, and who has experienced the challenge of living and teaching in a bilingual environment since her earliest days.
Marie Bouteillon, head of Bilingual Classes at PS 58 in Brooklyn, one of the public schools in New York that has adopted a French-English program. She will participate in the round table “Regards-Croisés: Crossing Perspectives on Bilingualism”. (photo credit: Jonas Cuenin)
Through these in-depth round tables, conference attendees will be able to learn about the latest developments in bilingual education, and the influence of such an education on the emotional development and general culture of our children.
The art of eating holds an important place in the culture of francophones and francophiles alike. From the chocolate croissants our children enjoy to the green vegetables that French parents push at the family table, from birth, the French – as well as those who have acquired a love of the country and its culture – have a love and appreciation for food that many admire. It is, at least, the thesis of Karen Le Billon, author of French Kids Eat Everything, who we are thrilled to welcome for the third round table.
Marion Nestle, avid researcher on the topic, will examine nutrition and eating well. Ariane Daguin, founder of the French food company D’Artagnan, will share her thoughts on the benefits of foods of the terroir, while Jeffrey Mills brings a perspective from Washington, where he worked so hard to bring better food to school cafeterias.
As a parent who has raised two children in a bilingual school, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to learn what the consequences are of raising my child in this special world, and which will no doubt do nothing but reinforce the foresight of the great decision I made…
More info: Living-with-two-languages.info
About the Author :
Pascale Richard joined the Lycée as director of the Cultural Center in 2011, where she aims to bring the best of French and American cultures through conferences, concerts, films and various events. In the fall of 2012, she launched the school’s Artist-in-Residence program. Pascale was previously Vice President of External Affairs at the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). Her background is in journalism and writing with a focus on lifestyle and fashion. She is a graduate of Sciences-po and holds a master’s in journalism from New York University.