ISJ November 2012: Integrated mother tongue education: three Dutch examples from the shop floor

Charlotte Wagenaar

Abstract:

How important would you say it is for children living abroad to be fluent in their mother tongue? Both professionals and parents at international schools tend to be very much aware of the benefits of a solid language base. However, while there is no shortage of studies proving a direct correlation between early education in the home language and academic results, this knowledge has not yet led to widespread implementation of mother tongue teaching in the regular curriculum. Three international schools that have managed to create an integrated Dutch mother tongue programme share their thoughts and experiences.