The benefits of a bilingual education for children and opportunities for life
Wednesday, 3 March, 11.00 (GMT)
The positive aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism from Early Years, the Alumni and next steps after school and a community for life.
Panel:
Cécile Denais, Deputy Head Teacher for Secondary School at Collège Français Bilingue de Londres, (CFBL)
Ines Saltalamacchia, Headteacher, (La Scuola Italiana a Londra) SIAL
Susan Stewart, Head of Multilingualism, International School of London
Host: Fiona Murchie, Managing Editor, Relocate magazine & Relocate Global
Discover the huge advantages of a bilingual or multilingual education for children of all ages to help parents make important school choices. Being bilingual does not only mean being able to communicate effortlessly in two languages. Its benefits have been confirmed by many studies and can be measured in both children and adults. Hear from three London schools about their experiences.
We will explore the many positive aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism from early years, throughout school, and onto higher education and a career. We look at the value to children, their parents, society, the economy and the importance of the alumni network and being part of a community for life.
The webinar will open with insights from Susan Stewart, Head of Multilingualism at International School of London and Chair of the ECIS MLIE (Multilingual Learning in International Education) committee. She will provide an overview of latest trends in multilingualism including how we talk about bilingualism and multilingualism and the messages for parents. She will share the research behind developing bilingualism and the key role parents and families play in the process.
She will be joined on our panel by Cécile Denais, Deputy Head Teacher for Secondary School at CFBL (Collège Français Bilingue de Londres) and Ines Saltalamacchia, Head Teacher of SIAL School (Bilingual English & Italian School in London) as they discuss the lifelong advantages of a bilingual education giving examples from their schools.
Cécile Denais will share her thoughts on how a bilingual education in an international environment is incredibly beneficial in developing different learning approaches, critical thinking capabilities, and intellectual curiosity. Collège Français Bilingue de Londres is a leading bilingual school in London, situated in Kentish Town near Hampstead for children from Nursery to Year 10 (age range 3-16). The school offers a bilingual and bicultural curriculum defined by the French ministère de l'Éducation nationale.
Collège Français Bilingue de Londres
SIAL is the only English/Italian School in the UK and this is a unique opportunity to discover at first hand from Ines Saltalamacchia, Headteacher how the school delivers a bilingual education to children aged 3 to 11 years. Located in Holland Park, West London this nursery and primary school is recognised by both the British and Italian government and integrates the Italian Curriculum with aspects of the British education system. With small classes and a bespoke approach, children will develop fluency in both English and Italian. The school welcomes families of all nationalities who appreciate the advantages of a bilingual and bicultural education which will prepare their children to see the world with open minds and curiosity.
Panel
Ines Saltalamacchia has been Headteacher at SIAL school since 2015.
She has been involved in the project 'La Scuola Italiana a Londra' since March 2006, first as a Trustee and, once the School opened, in the management of the school contributing to the development of SIAL school's unique bilingual and bi-curricular teaching programme.
Cécile Denais joined CFBL initially as the Head of History and Geography Department in 2017, before stepping up to the role of Deputy Head Teacher for Secondary in April 2020 at an exciting and challenging time in the school's history.
Previously she worked as a French teacher at Dulwich College for IGCSE and A-levels students from 2015 to 2017.
Susan Stewart is Head of Multilingualism at the International School of London, where she leads a department of Home Language, Language Acquisition and English as an Additional Language teachers. Susan has lived and worked in Thailand, the UAE, South Africa, Belgium, Oman and Sweden, and has raised two bilingual global-nomad children. Susan is the Chair of the ECIS MLIE (Multilingual Learning in International Education) committee.
Fiona Murchie has over 25 years’ experience in management and HR publishing and global mobility. From this unique perspective, she combines understanding of the HR and global mobility market with knowledge of business drivers and an appreciation of management thinking. Relocate Global has become the leading multimedia for international managers, HR, global mobility and relocation professionals, with a growing international reputation for thought leadership, innovation and people support. The Great International Education & Schools’ Fair was introduced in November 2020 and Spring 2021 to coincide with the admissions cycle.
