Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism has currently 21 actively working heritage language groups, the highest number since the beginning in 1994.

The full list of groups (including Móðurmál library and Vinalestur Heiðrúnar - reading in Icelandic) is to be found on the homepage:
https://www.modurmal.com/

Information about Móðurmál is here: https://www.modurmal.com/about/

Skólaár 2025-2026
Arabíska - Assalam, Arabíska er tungumálið mitt, bókasafn Móðurmáls, filippseyska, franska, japanska, kóreanska, litháíska, Móðurmál Norðurlanda, pólska, portúgalska, rússneska MIR, rússneska (Leiklistarfélag fyrir fjöltyngd börn), serbneska, slóvakíska, spænska, tékkneska, ungverska, úkraínska, vinalestur Heiðrúnar, þýska

Um /About – Móðurmál Um /About (*English below) Móðurmál – samtök um tvítyngi eru hagsmuna- og regnhlífasamtök sem styðja við og halda utan um móðurmálskennslu á höfuðborgarsvæðinu. Markmið Móðurmáls eru að styðja við móðurmálshópa og móðurmálskennara, að vinna með foreldrum fjöltyngd...

Móðurmálið er gjöf sem endist æfilangt.

Móður­málið er gjöf sem endist ævin­langt - Vísir Tungumál er grunnur að sjálfsmynd, námi og tengslum barna við fjölskyldu sína. Þegar barn fær að rækta móðurmál sitt styrkir það ekki aðeins málþroska sinn, vitsmunaþroska og málvitundina heldur líka tilfinningu fyrir rótum sínum og uppruna.

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism I am happy to share this opportunity for professional development:

NEW EU-Speak course ~ Learning new languages in migrant contexts (May - June 2026) The EU Speak Board is pleased to announce a six-week professional development module (course) for those working with adult immigrants who have limited literacy.

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism
Thank you, Vigdísarstofnun / The Vigdís International Centre , for bringing attention to the Global Call to Action for Heritage Language Education. The full text in English is available here: https://menntavisindastofnun.hi.is/is/global-call-hle , authored by members of FOHLC Europe and Heritage Language Global Think Tank https://www.hlenet.org/thinktank

Happy International Mother Language Day!

What are the linguistic rights of heritage language learners? Reflections on International Mother Language Day 2026
https://heritagelanguageblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/what-are-linguistic-rights-of-heritage.html

More recent publications about the heritage language education sector are listed on the homepage of Móðurmál: https://www.modurmal.com/happy-international-mother-language-day-2026/

News about the children´s puppet show on 21 February is here: https://www.modurmal.com/barnasyning-i-mjodd-i-tilefni-althjodadags-modurmalsins-2026/

Tonga Schools Project: Bridging the communication between the plurilingual families and the school
https://tonga-schools.eu/

FOR SCHOOLS
Framework
https://tonga-schools.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TOOLKIT-Presentation.pdf

Toolkit for schools
https://tonga-schools.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TOOLKIT-Presentation.pdf

FOR PARENTS
Parents Cafés & Booklet about communication with schools
https://tonga-schools.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/en-ligne-One-Family-One-School-Reflexion-Booklet-English.pdf

Tonga Schools | Tendiendo puentes de comunicación entre familias plurilingües y la escuela Tonga Schools Bridging the communication between the plurilingual families and the schoolAt the core of this Erasmus+ project lies the endeavor to connect plurilingual families with schools. Our goal is to develop resources that will enhance this communication and establish a network of Tonga school...

Dear Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism

Here are some resources for heritage language learners, an inspiration for the upcoming International Mother Language Day (21 February):
https://www.leslla.org/hub-overview
https://bloomlibrary.org/
https://bookdash.org/
https://openlanguage.org.au/

If you want to get more ideas and have a dialogue about how to celebrate the IMLD in your setting, please join FOHLC Europe´s online event - FOHLC Cafe devoted to this day:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/fohlc-cafe-heritage-learners-what-are-their-rights-tickets-1980701540627?aff=oddtdtcreator

FOHLC Café-Heritage Learners: What Are Their Rights? Let's discuss Language Rights. Join us!

Dear partners, supporters, friends, and families,

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism and Heimili og skóli - Landssamtök foreldra (Home and School - the National Parents’ Association) would like to thank you for the positive communication, collaboration, and support throughout the past year. We wish everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026 - let´s continue working together.

This autumn, the two organisations signed a cooperation agreement with the aim of better supporting and assisting parents of foreign origin. News about the work of Móðurmál can be found on the organisation’s website https://www.modurmal.com/, and information about the work of Heimili og skóli is available on its website https://sites.google.com/view/heimiliogskli/heim
In the new year, we hope to continue strengthening and empowering parents and children of foreign origin together, through ongoing dialogue and cooperation with you.

Among other things, this news item on the use of mother tongues in schools was published in autumn 2025:
“May (I) ban children from using their mother tongue at school?” (in Icelandic).
https://www.visir.is/g/20252803613d/ma-eg-banna-bornum-ad-nota-modurmal-i-skolanum-?

Looking back, Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism has collaborated throughout the year with its 20 active mother tongue groups, the City of Reykjavík, Ministry of Education and Culture (the coordination team MEMM, https://memm.mms.is/), the new strong partner Home and School (Heimili og skóli - Landssamtök foreldra), the compulsory schools that house the Saturday classes, Fellaskóli and Hólabrekkuskóli in Reykjavík, Listasafn Reykjavíkur / Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík Museum of History, Gerðuberg Cultural Center, as well as its international partner and friend organizations, Community-Based Heritage Language Schools, FOHLC Europe, International and Heritage Languages Association, HLE Network, Štúdio 25: and many others.

We have celebrated 30 years since the establishment of Móðurmál, organized information events for parents of foreign origin, educational events for plurilingual children, participated in an international collaborative project Studio 25 to bridge between cultures through education, created a new language map of Iceland https://www.modurmal.com/language-map-2025-the-search-for-linguistic-resources-2025/, worked on an educational project focus on sustainable development goals in multiple languages https://www.modurmal.com/verkfaerakista-til-ad-virkja-fjolbreytt-tungumal-i-kennslu-um-heimsmarkmid-sameinudu-thjodanna/ . Not the least, we participated in an international activism to raise awareness, support, professionalize and empower heritage language schools worldwide.

Here below are some new resources:

Aberdeen, T., Cannizzaro, G., Douglas, M., Emilsson Peskova, R., Lu, T., Ludanyi, R., McCabe, M., Paulovicova, N., Peyton, J.K., & Sobrevía, S. (2025). International Guidelines for Professional Practices in Community-Based Heritage Language Schools: Review Rubric. https://ucla.app.box.com/s/6caa82ijprqjifw9f8f5aj0ego64ozd7
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Emilsson Peskova, R., Peyton, J. K., Cannizzaro, G., & Boccou Kestřánková, M. (2025). The heritage language global think tank: Collaboration across countries. Educational Role of Language Journal, 2025-1(13, Actions in Language Education), 141–145. https://doi.org/10.36534/erlj.2025.01.18

Peyton, J. K. (March 26, 2025). Community-based Heritage Language Schools: The Global Heritage Language Education Sector. Presentation at 1st International D.EL.EXO. Conference. Advancing Greek Language and culture education worldwide: new developments and emerging issues. https://delexo.greeklanguage.gr/index.php/en/news-2/52-1%CB%A2%E1%B5%97-international-d-el-exo-conference-advancing-greek-language-and-culture-education-worldwide-new-developments-and-emerging-issues

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism is lucky to have strong Icelandic and international partner and friend organizations: https://www.modurmal.com/friend-organizations/
Through collaboration, we learn, develop ideas, advocate, educate, and value heritage language education as a global sector with strong local value.

A short article titled "May (I) forbid children to use their mother tongues in schools" was published on the Day of Icelandic Language in the Icelandic newspaper Visir.is.

A short summary in English is on the homepage of Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism, as well as a link to an earlier article in English on how heritage language education enriches the language education sector.
https://www.modurmal.com/mother%e2%80%91tongue-use-in-icelandic-schools/

Today is yet another day to celebrate Icelandic, the sovereignty day, the day Iceland became a sovereign state in union with Denmark in 1918.

Móðurmál - the Association on Bilingualism collaborates with
FOHLC Europe and Heritage Language Global Think Tank https://www.hlenet.org/thinktank, among others.
Together, we stand for a new blog about heritage language learning https://heritagelanguageblog.blogspot.com/
Please read, share, and consider contributing!

Heritage Language Blog ~ by HL Global Think Tank & FOHLC Europe The blog of HL Global Think Tank and FOHLC Europe