ISOTIS coordinator Paul Leseman and ISOTIS researcher Ryanne Francot (Utrecht University) gave an interview to the journal DUB, the independent news site of Utrecht University. They talked about ISOTIS, multilingualism and a career in science.

Regarding the use of multiple languages, Paul Lesemen referred that: “Research shows that multilingualism trains your brain, that it results in a higher cognitive flexibility, and possibly in greater creativity. And in our globalised world, we need people who speak multiple languages. It provides economic opportunities – they can work for companies that do business with China, Arabic countries, or Turkey…”.

To prevent children who grow up multilingual from falling behind in one of their languages, Ryanne Francot explained that: “It’s important that children come into contact with both languages in the right way, at a young age. Preferably, the mother tongue is encouraged at home, and pre-school teaches Dutch.” Paul Leseman added: “If children are proficient in their mother tongue, it helps them in learning a second language.”

Concerning the studies developed in the scope of ISOTIS, Paul Leseman highlighted: “We’re learning a lot, for instance, from a large-scale interview project, for which we talked to 4,000 parents from marginalised groups in ten European countries. Those parents have high ambitions for their children’s success at school, too, and they want to invest in their education. But poverty, discrimination, and segregation have strong negative influences.”

The researchers emphasized the importance of the relation between parents and professionals in (pre)schools, neighbourhood facilities and youth care. Ryanne Francot said: “If parents experience a positive connection with professionals, and they feel like these professionals are there to help their children, it mutes the negative effects of poverty, unsafe neighbourhoods, and perceived discrimination.”

Read the full interview here: https://www.dub.uu.nl/en/depth/how-social-engagement-ignites-scientific-passion