Passive bilingualism: knows Russian, but stays silent
The child carries out all your requests in Russian. Grandma tells a fairy tale and he listens with pleasure. But he doesn't speak himself. He answers in English or remains silent altogether. You know he understands perfectly. So why doesn't he want to speak? It's not a tantrum or laziness. This is passive bilingualism, a typical situation for immigrant children aged 4-10. The Russian language is «switched on» in them [...]
The family comedy «My Dad the Bear» is coming to the big screen in the US and Canada.
This is a great reason for the whole family to go out and see a Russian-language film. For most Russian-speaking families in North America, such a screening is a rare event: it's not an online platform or watching at home, but a real movie theater and the Russian language on the big screen. When this happens, it's a sin to miss it. Why is this important at all? Movies in your native language in a public space work differently, [...]
Letter to Grandma: How to Help Your Child Write a Letter in Russian by Hand
When a child lives abroad, communication with grandparents in the CIS often relies on calls and messengers. But one letter, written in Russian in their own handwriting, can mean much more to them than a dozen voice messages. For the child, such a letter is not only practice for the Russian language and handwriting, but also a very understandable way to show love and care, [...]
Russian from mom, English from dad: how the «one parent, one language» method really works»
When two languages coexist in a family, parents must not only raise their children but also strategize their language approach: how to organize communication so that both languages become truly integrated into the child's life, rather than just remaining background noise. For Russian-speaking mothers in an English-speaking environment, this is also a way to maintain Russian as a living family language, rather than just a «scheduled lesson.»
Russian homework: how much, how, and are they even necessary?
Tired parents often sigh: the day is already packed, and now there are Russian language exercises for children growing up abroad. They want their children to advance in Russian, but not at the cost of evening tantrums and «I hate Russian.» Let's explore what research says about the benefits of homework, how to organize it without conflict, and how it works at Palme School. […]
Russian Language on the Road: 15 Games for the Car and Plane
When a family travels a lot, the journey becomes a separate part of life: traffic jams on the way to the weekend, long flights, waiting at the airport. During these hours, you can simply «endure,» or you can turn the time into a living practice of the Russian language without notebooks or screens. This is especially important for children who grow up abroad and don't hear Russian every day. In this […]
Online Russian Lessons for Kids: How to Choose a School and Not Make a Mistake
Online Russian language lessons for children seem like a simple solution: open a website, pay, and your child «attends Russian lessons» from home. However, the choice of school determines whether they will look forward to lessons or start feigning illness and «forgetting» about classes every time. Below is a checklist you can use to evaluate any online school, and at the same time, see how these points are implemented at Palme […]
March has passed: how to realize that the child is making progress in Russian language
When a child lives abroad, the question «How's their Russian?» is asked particularly often by relatives, teachers, and even within the parent's own mind. You want to see clear progress, not just hear «well... they seem to be speaking.» Let's figure out what «making progress in Russian» actually means, what specific markers exist for different ages and levels, and when [...]
Child's Accent: A Problem or a Peculiarity? An Opinion from a Speech Therapist and a Linguist
Many parents of bilingual children worry about accent: their child speaks Russian «not quite like us,» draws out intonation, «swallows» sounds, or sounds a bit foreign. They want to understand if this is a serious problem, «spoiled Russian,» or a normal feature of living between two languages. Below, we'll explore what speech therapists and linguists consider within the range of normal, when you can relax, and in which cases it's still worth showing the child to a [...]
What is RKI and why isn't it «regular Russian»?»
Russian as a Foreign Language (RKI) isn't about «knowing the language worse,» but about a different path to Russian for a child living in an English-speaking environment. Instead of abstract textbook rules, RKI relies on real-life situations: talking to grandma, explaining what you want, talking about yourself. This approach helps children in emigration not only improve their Russian but also [...]