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Welcome!
 I’m Katharine Cannings and I’m here to help you navigate the rewarding journey of raising bilingual children. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and as a mother of two bilingual teenagers, I understand the challenges and joys that come with nurturing multilingualism at home. My goal is to make bilingual upbringing accessible and manageable for parents worldwide, ensuring your children can enjoy the cognitive and cultural benefits of speaking more than one language.
Through my diverse background—from founding an English-speaking children’s theatre company in Spain to presenting a national children’s TV show—I have developed practical strategies that work in real-life settings. As a founding member of Bilingual Families (formerly PEaCH), a world-wide organisation promoting bilingualism, and the author of Fluent Families: A Roadmap to Your Bilingual Home, I’m committed to providing you with the tools and support you need to integrate multiple languages into your child’s daily routine seamlessly.
Discover more about how you can successfully introduce a second or third language into your home by exploring the rest of my page. Let’s embark on this bilingual journey together!
Have you ever wondered how you can give your child the gift of bilingualism? My journey began with a passion for languages and a desire to help parents like you navigate the beautiful, yet sometimes challenging, path of raising bilingual children.
My Mission
At my core, I aim to make bilingual upbringing accessible and manageable for families worldwide. I believe that every family deserves to enjoy the cognitive and cultural benefits of speaking more than one language. My mission is to assist parents in nurturing bilingualism from a young age, ensuring that it becomes a natural part of their child’s daily routine.
My Vision
Imagine a world where every child can effortlessly switch between languages, embracing diverse cultures with ease. My vision is to create such a world by empowering parents with the tools and knowledge they need to foster bilingualism at home. I see a future where bilingual children grow up to be global citizens, capable of bridging cultural gaps and enriching their communities.
My Values
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With over 20 years of teaching experience, founding an English-speaking children’s theatre in Spain, presenting national children’s TV shows in English, raising two bilingual children, and researching and authoring two books on bilingual families, I bring a wealth of expertise to support your family’s bilingual journey. Let’s start this adventure together!
My journey began over 20 years ago as a teacher with a passion for languages and storytelling. This passion led me to found an English-speaking children’s theatre and storytelling company in Spain, La Hora del Cuento, where I saw firsthand the magic of language acquisition through creative play. It was here that I realised the profound impact early exposure to multiple languages can have on a child’s development.
My professional experiences expanded when I became the presenter of a national children’s TV show in English, featuring over 200 programs. This role allowed me to reach thousands of young viewers, making language learning accessible and fun. I’m a founding member of Bilingual Families (formerly PEaCH), a world-wide organisation promoting bilingualism.
Most importantly, as a mother of two bilingual teenagers, I’ve navigated the challenges and joys of raising children in a multilingual environment. My personal and professional experiences have uniquely positioned me to guide other parents on this rewarding journey.
Today, as a Bilingual Family Consultant and author of Roadmap to Your Bilingual Home: A Practical Guide for Parents, I am dedicated to helping families integrate multiple languages into their daily lives. Whether through workshops, courses, one-on-one coaching, or my books, my goal is to make bilingual upbringing both accessible and manageable for parents worldwide. Together, we can unlock the cognitive and cultural benefits that come with speaking more than one language.
Timeline:
Living in Madrid, Spain and a mother of bilingual children, now teenagers and young adults
20 years of teaching in multilingual environments and founding an English theatre company for children
Presenting over 200 episodes about language learning on a national TV show in Spain “Aprendemos en Clan”
Writing the book “Roadmap to Your Bilingual Home” and supporting multilingual families around the world
Are you dreaming of a bilingual home where your child seamlessly switches between languages, reaping the cognitive and cultural benefits? You’re in the right place! My goal is to make this journey accessible and enjoyable for you and your family.
I believe every child has the potential to be bilingual with the right guidance and environment. Through my proven methods, I help parents like you integrate a second or third language into daily routines, making language learning fun and natural. Whether it’s through play, storytelling, or daily conversations, I’ll show you how to create an immersive language experience at home.
As a mother, teacher, founder of a children’s theatre company, and television presenter, I’ve seen firsthand how engaging activities can enhance language development. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies tailored to your family’s unique needs, ensuring your child’s bilingual journey is both effective and enjoyable.
Understand your family's current language dynamics.
Develop
a personalised bilingual roadmap.
Incorporate language learning into daily routines.
Use play, storytelling,
and
interactive activities.
Ongoing guidance to adapt and refine your approach.
Welcome to my space dedicated to fostering bilingualism in your home! With over 20 years of experience as a teacher and the founder of an English-speaking children’s theatre and storytelling company in Spain, I bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to guide you on this exciting journey.
My career has been enriched by various media features, including presenting and collaborating on scripts for over 200 episodes of the national children’s TV show ‘Aprendemos en Clan.’ This platform has allowed me to reach thousands of families, sharing valuable tips and engaging content designed to support language learning.Â
As a mother of two bilingual teenagers, I understand firsthand the joys and challenges that come with raising multilingual children. I have experienced the different stages of language acquisition from the initial sounds and first words to fluency and beyond. Along the way, I’ve encountered cultural conflicts that arise when blending traditions from different backgrounds, faced the lack of community and resources that often leaves parents feeling isolated, and managed concerns about my children’s progress in mastering multiple languages.Watching my children navigate their bilingual journey has taught me invaluable lessons that I now share with other families.
I’ve dedicated my career to making bilingual upbringing accessible and manageable for parents just like you. Through my resources and books, Roadmap to Your Bilingual Home: A Practical Guide for Parents and Toddler Talk Times Two: The Essential Guide to Your Bilingual Toddler, I’ve shared practical strategies that have helped countless families achieve their bilingual goals.
Together, we can unlock the cognitive and cultural benefits of speaking more than one language for your child. Let’s embark on this adventure together, ensuring your child can enjoy the myriad benefits of being bilingual!
Discover how my coaching has transformed the bilingual journeys of families just like yours. Hear from parents who have found clarity, confidence, and success in raising bilingual children with my support.
Embark on a journey towards bilingualism with personalised support, the Bilingual Roadmap Family Coaching Programme. Tailored specifically for your family, this detailed, made-to-measure language plan offers a clear roadmap to navigate the complexities of raising bilingual children. Together, we break down the process into manageable steps and you gain the confidence you need to foster a multilingual environment at home.
Your Bilingual Roadmap is an empowering online course designed for bilingual families with babies and young children, offering a structured 9-step approach to creating a family language plan. Videos, pdfs and interactive activities make each module easy to follow. This course simplifies the complexities of bilingualism into manageable steps, addressing common challenges such as inconsistent progress, limited time, lack of minority language exposure, communication breakdowns, and cultural confusion. By following this roadmap at your own pace, you can confidently navigate your bilingual journey, fostering a harmonious home environment that honours traditions while embracing new ones. BONUS! One video call with me to review your Bilingual Roadmap.
Unlock the secrets to a successful bilingual home with this comprehensive guidebook, Fluent Families: A Roadmap to Your Bilingual Home. Available in both ebook with downloadable resources and activity templates, or print format, this guide helps parents explore their motivations, assess their current situation, set achievable goals, and develop effective strategies for raising bilingual or multilingual children. Transform your home into a thriving linguistic environment!
Navigate the joys and challenges of raising a bilingual toddler with Toddler Talk Times Two. This essential ebook provides invaluable information and advice for parents committed to nurturing their child’s language development in multiple languages. Gain the confidence and tools you need to support your toddler through this critical stage of language growth.
This fantastic downloadable toolkit provides families with a structured approach to their bilingual journey, including daily, weekly and yearly planners, an activity tracker, cultural calendar and a language travel pack with templates to help record and organise resources.
Struggling to navigate the complexities of raising a bilingual child?
Gain confidence with my personalised coaching and detailed language plan.
This online course, YOUR BILINGUAL ROADMAP, provides a clear, manageable plan to help bilingual families confidently create a harmonious multilingual home.
Unsure how to effectively introduce a second language at home?
Our guide offers practical strategies and goal-setting tips.
Finding it challenging to support your bilingual toddler’s development?
Navigate toddlerhood confidently with expert advice and resources.
Ready to give your child the gift of bilingualism? Follow on social media for tips, support, and inspiration tailored just for you. Let’s do this together!
Creating your bilingual home: community, tools and resources for families
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