Germany

Minority
languages

Approach

Where

Parents

Kid(s)

Additional remarks

Marina and Georg

Theo (30 Okt 1990) and Anjo (17 Jul 1992)

If you are looking for other-language playgroups or activities for your bilingual children (any languages) in Germany, be sure to contact the ImF at ImF-e.V.@gmx.de

Anke Niessen and Klaus Tenbrock

Jan (20 Jul 1999) and Mathis (4 Feb 2002)

We are both native German speakers but have been living in the US for two years and want to keep English as a second language especially for our older son. We used to speak German at home when living in the US and want to try speaking more English when returning to Germany

Liz (US) and Michael (German)

Nicky (1991) and Jonathan (1994)

We have used OPOL no problems and both are fully bilingual German and English, Nicky reads Emil und die Detektive and Little House on the Prairie equally gern and fast.

Mark and Christiane Bartovick

Kevin (7 Mar 1995) and Anna (3 Jun 1997)

OPOL

???

Stefanie and André Boy-Nieder

Maximilian (20 Mar 2007)

Both parents are native German speakers. André spent 8 years in America, when he was a child.

Thomas and Melissa Andersen

Christian (1 Feb 2000)

Other

Hildesheim, Niedersachsen

Carolin and Thomas

(Girl) (Jan 2007)

Carolin speaks German to our daugther, Thomas speaks Danish to our daugther, and Thomas and I speak English with one another.
We would love to meet other parents in or near Hildesheim who speak Danish or English with their children.

OPOL

Ulm, Baden-Württemberg

Anne and Peter

Levin, (30 Aug 2000)

We are an Australian/German couple and would
like getting in contact to other families and maybe find a mate for our
son Levin

Jo-Ann & Uwe Frey

Greta (24 Mar 2002)

Katrin and Matthias

Tabea-Sophie (20 Aug 2001)

I am speaking English to her when I am alone with her, mostly in the mornings. German is the family language. We are always happy to find people who are raising their kids bilingual - also "just" English (native) speakers with children around our daughters age.

Shannon and Budi

Mariah (1 Oct 1992)

Mariah already speaks very good German - though her mother tongue is (was?) English - from attending first German Kindergarten and now German-speaking Grundschule but being only in first grade hasn't yet really learned to read or write in either one (she is trying very hard to learn both).

Sabine and Dietrich

Alexander (4 Dec 1998)

We are raising Alexander bilingually (German/English) although we are both native German speakers living in Germany. It has worked well so far :-)

Paul Gibbon & Susanne Pfalzner

Theresa (28 May 1993) and Claire (29 Mar 1998)

Mainly OPOL plus mL@H if both parents present (eg: mealtimes).
We have had some success using OPOL with Theresa (now 9), despite criticism early on from various quarters (eg: kindergarten), with the result that (compulsory) English lessons at school next year will pose a problem. Claire, on the other hand, volonteers very little English, but understands more-or-less 100%. We would be interested in contacting families with similar language constellations!

Karen and Olaf Göb

Saskia (26 Nov 1998) and Jenson (2 Jul 2001)

At home, Saskia, now nearly 5, speaks very little English freely although she understands everything. When my family visits or we are with them in Scotland she babbles away like a native speaker! I guess it's the "I won't" not the "I can't" syndrome! Jenson isn't talking much yet, but seems to understand everything in both languages. We have a bilingual playgroup which is a big help in extending the minority language: www.the-kids-club.de

Caroline and Maic

Jeremy (18 Nov 1995) and Joshua (16 Jan 1999)

Like to meet other English-speaking/bilingual families in the area.

mL@H

Berlin

Georgina Pascoe and Ralph

Lee (20 Sep 2001)

Christina and Bernd

Richard (28 Feb 1993) and Cameron (11 Mar 1996)

Hello! We are a German/Canadian family and we're using the OPOL method to teach our two boys English and German. I speak fluent German and my husband's English is not bad most of the time! The children speak both languages very well. I am an ESL/EFL teacher.

Maria and Peter Faist

Charlotte (27 Jun 1997 and Jaqueline (5 Dec 1998)

I "teach" English to Pre-School Kids from my home and would like to talk/meet other people who do the same.

Liesl and Alexander

Gabriel (Nov 2000)

Mom is South African native English but fluent German, dad native German with fluent english. Gabriel speaks good english with a smattering of German but has started in a german creche. We would love to meet and correspond with any other English/German families and would especailly love to meet other children Gabriel's age!

Mariano and Lucia

David (20 Feb 1998)

Raising little David Spanish/English using 99% OPOL (Very occasionally Daddy also tells him off in Spanish). Expecting a little brother/sister for David in July. Hoping learning German without an accent will be easier for them than for us... Seeking contact to other families in a similar situation, Spanish/German, Spanish/English/German, Spanish/English, or whatever, not necessarily in that order!

Sabine and Christian

Tom Darrell (6 Nov 1997)

We are always looking for contact to other English/German speaking families. Please feel free to contact us.

Anne and Andreas

Lissy (Dec 1997) and Alex (Dec 1999)

We'd love to hear from others in our area.

Ruth and Jochen

Laura (1994), Emily (2000) - next one due in May 2003.

Sarah and Peter Kragl

Zoe (1 Apr 1999) and Hannah (1 Feb 2001)

What is concerning me at the moment (April 2003) is that my eldest daughter is weaker in speaking the majority language (German), mainly because we recently moved and have lost contact with the German friends and families we knew, and of course it takes time to build up new friendships. My husband works away alot in the week so the children are hearing alot more English at the moment. This is despite the fact that Zoe is in kindergarten each day.

Susanne and Thomas Börtzler

Lasse (Aug 1996) and Niklas (Jan 1999)

Both parents are native German speakers.