Growing Up Human: Support Heritage Language Learning at Home

Published on: 2022/12/19 - in News

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) is hosting the series Growing Up Human, focusing on child development with the aim to provide tools for parents, caregivers, and others to support children as they grow.

The series will begin in 2023 with a talk from Dr. Stanka Fitneva, who specializes in language, communication, and social cognition. The talk, titled “Maintaining or Passing on a Heritage Language to Children,” will be held online via Zoom on January 12th from 7-8 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity to learn how a child can thrive using multiple languages and how this cultural anchor can be maintained,” said Jake Miller, Librarian, Adult Programming. “We’re excited to kick off 2023’s Growing Up Human series with Dr. Fitneva and her expertise in this growing field.”

This event is particularly relevant in Canada, where one in four people have a mother tongue other than English or French, according to the 2021 census. KFPL’s multilingual collections and programs, including Growing Up Human, aim to support bilingualism and multilingualism within families.

Growing Up Human is a partnership between KFPL and the Child and Adolescent Development Research Group at Queen’s University, and will continue through June 2023.

For more information on future sessions and to register for the event, go to KFPL’s website or call 613-549-8888.


Image source: KFPL