Fatima & Carla

From: 🇲🇦 Morocco + 🇮🇹 Italy

Ages: 28 & 31

Languages Spoken: Arabic (Darija), Italian

Current Location: Bologna, Italy

Child: Rania, age 2

Story: Mixed-faith queer couple. Arabic is used during religious practice, Italian at nursery and play. They cook and sing in both.

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¿Puedes describir los antecedentes lingüísticos de tu familia?
Fatima grew up speaking Darija (Moroccan Arabic) in Casablanca, with French as a second language. Carla is from Modena and speaks Italian natively. We both speak English too, but it’s not part of our home life.

¿Qué idiomas utilizáis, cómo y dónde y cómo decidisteis esa mezcla?
Arabic (Darija) is used mostly during religious moments — prayers, celebrations, and stories from Fatima’s childhood. Italian is the everyday language — at nursery, with friends, and most routines. We blend the two during meals, music, and reading.

¿Por qué es importante para usted enseñar esos idiomas?
Language is how you pass down more than words — it’s culture, faith, humour, values. We want Rania to know where she comes from, to connect with both sides of her identity.

¿Cuándo decidió por primera vez criar a su hijo de forma bilingüe?
Before she was born. We always knew we’d raise her with both Arabic and Italian. It wasn’t even a question.

¿Seguiste una estrategia específica (por ejemplo, OPOL, ML@H) o evolucionó naturalmente?
We use a relaxed ML@H approach. Arabic is spoken by Fatima during spiritual practice, and we both switch to Italian with each other and in public. It’s fluid, but intentional.

¿Cuáles fueron sus mayores preocupaciones al principio y cómo se desarrollaron con el tiempo?
We were worried Rania might reject Arabic since it’s not used outside the home. But because we tied it to rituals, music, and food, she’s developed a positive association with it.

¿Qué te ayudó a mantener la constancia en el uso de ambos idiomas? ¿Cuál es tu rutina?
Songs help a lot. We have a playlist of Moroccan lullabies and Italian nursery rhymes. Also, Fatima always does Friday prayer in Arabic aloud, and Rania often copies the words, even if she doesn’t understand them fully.

¿Ha cambiado su enfoque a medida que su hijo crece?
A bit. Now that she’s in nursery and more confident with Italian, we’ve started introducing Arabic books and stories in the evenings, just before bed, when she’s most receptive.

¿Cómo maneja usted la resistencia o cuando su hijo prefiere un idioma?
We don’t force it. If she leans toward Italian, we gently bring Arabic into her world in playful ways — cooking together, songs, short expressions. It’s about building positive experiences.

¿Ha experimentado algún momento de avance o de orgullo en su desarrollo del lenguaje?
Yes — during Eid, she surprised everyone by saying “Eid Mubarak” perfectly to Fatima’s mother on a video call. It made Fatima tear up.

¿Qué papel ha desempeñado su familia extendida o su comunidad al apoyar (o desafiar) sus metas?
Our Italian side of the family is supportive but doesn’t speak Arabic. Fatima’s family is happy we’re keeping the language alive, even if from afar. The challenge is we’re far from Moroccan community spaces.

¿Tienes una anécdota divertida o inesperada de tu experiencia bilingüe? Nos encantaría escucharla.
Rania once said, “Mamma, oggi facciamo couscous yalla!” Mixing Italian structure with an Arabic expression — and she was so proud of it, we made couscous immediately.

¿Alguna vez has sentido presión (interna o externa) por tus objetivos bilingües?
Yes. Sometimes people say things like “Just stick with Italian, it’s simpler.” There’s also a sense of needing to “prove” the value of Arabic in a European context.

¿Sientes que tu hijo se conecta emocional o culturalmente con ambos idiomas?
Yes. She kisses the Qur’an, helps knead dough for homemade pizza, and dances to Rai music y Italian pop. Each language is tied to love, family, and joy for her.

¿Cuál ha sido el desafío más inesperado?
Finding Darija resources. It’s not widely available in children’s books or shows, so Fatima has to adapt stories or record her own voice singing traditional songs.

¿Qué es lo que más te ha sorprendido de forma positiva?
How much Rania associates Arabic with affection. She often uses “habibi” (my darling) or “yalla” playfully. These aren’t just words — they carry emotion and warmth.

¿Qué tecnología u otros recursos utiliza para apoyar el aprendizaje de idiomas?
YouTube for Arabic children’s songs, Italian audiobooks, and some digital picture books. Also, voice notes from Fatima’s mum have been a beautiful way to keep Darija in Rania’s ears.

¿Los entornos escolares o de cuidado infantil han ayudado o dificultado el proceso?
Nursery staff are open-minded but focused on Italian. We have to reinforce Arabic at home. They’ve shown interest though — Rania once taught her class to say “salaam”!

Si pudieras hacer una cosa diferente ¿qué sería?
Start recording family traditions and lullabies sooner. Fatima had to remember them from scratch. It would’ve helped to document them from the beginning.

¿Qué consejo le darías a otros padres que están empezando?
Don’t wait until it’s “convenient.” It never will be. Just start small — one song, one story, one word at a time. And celebrate every tiny win — they build a foundation of pride.

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