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The Multilingual Garden

The Multilingual Garden

Multilingualism training for schools

Support multilingual learners. Strengthen the connection between school and home.

Discuss training for your school

Your learners bring more than one language into the classroom - and more than one way of expressing what they know.

I help teachers and school leaders understand multilingual development, question common assumptions, and turn language awareness into practical decisions in classrooms and conversations with families.

Together, we can create a learning environment where children's languages are recognised and their participation is supported.

When familiar questions need a clearer response

A child understands the school language but says very little. How can we support participation without adding pressure?
A learner speaks confidently with friends but struggles to explain their thinking in class. What support might they still need?
Parents ask whether they should stop speaking their home language. How can the school respond constructively?
Some languages are celebrated while others remain invisible. What message does this send to learners and families?
Staff want to support multilingual learners but have different views on how to do it. Where can we begin?

Training gives your team space to explore these questions through research, discussion, and situations drawn from your school context.

What we can work on

Explore how children use and develop languages across different settings, why their skills may differ between languages, and how to respond to language mixing or understanding more than they say.
Build clearer conversations about home languages, expectations, and school transitions. Develop shared messages that help families make informed decisions without unnecessary pressure or guilt.
Recognise the influence of language prestige, accent bias, and everyday assumptions. Explore practical ways to make the languages of your school community visible and valued.
Explore common misconceptions about multilingualism and learners with different learning profiles, including dyslexia. Discuss how educators can communicate thoughtfully with families and relevant specialists when concerns arise.
Reflect on how school messages, staff communication, and language expectations shape participation and belonging. Identify a small number of priorities your team can put into practice.

Discuss training for your school

Choose a format that fits your school

Staff workshops

Interactive professional development built around your team's questions, with concise research input, practical activities, and discussion of relevant cases.

Parent talks and webinars

Accessible sessions that help families understand multilingual development and navigate the relationship between home and school languages. Selected sessions can include invited expert colleagues where appropriate.

Training can be delivered online or in person, in English, Italian, Spanish, or German. Content, duration, and fees are agreed according to your school's needs.

Practical, research-informed, and connected to your context

We begin with a conversation about your learners, staff, and priorities. I then shape the session around the questions that matter most to your community.

Participants work with practical examples, reflect on their own assumptions, and identify actions they can take in their setting. The aim is to help your team make more informed decisions and develop a shared language for discussing multilingualism.

Let's start with your school's questions

What would help your team feel better prepared to support multilingual learners and their families?

Tell me about your school, who the training is for, and the questions you would like us to address.

We can discuss a format that fits your context.

Discuss training for your school

About Dr. Karin Martin

I'm a linguist, multilingual competence specialist, trainer, and founder of The Multilingual Garden. For more than ten years, I have supported multilingual families and worked with educators to connect research with everyday practice.

My experience includes working in international school settings, teaching in higher education, and training around multilingual development and language awareness. I am the author of Watch Your Language, Mom! A Guide to Multilingualism and its Italian counterpart, Mamma, che lingua!

I bring both professional expertise and personal experience of living across languages to my work with school communities.

The Multilingual Garden by Dr. Karin Martin

Karin Martin is a linguist, consultant, and trainer specializing in multilingualism and multilingual parenting. A pioneer in multilingual family consulting since 2014, she supports families and educators around the world in guiding children’s multilingual development.

Linkedin Karin Martin

Linkedin The Multilingual Garden

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