Daily Blog

While some of you might have read these articles from the links we recently posted on our Facebook page or tweeted about from our Twitter account, I figured that, in case you missed it, it’d be nice to compile the latest media content regarding bilingualism in just one post. So if you didn’t get to read any of these, here’s your chance to find out what the latest studies say about bilingualism. (Hint: we’re on the right track!) From TheRead More ...

Our cat died not too long ago.  My children had both been fond of her, and were very aware of her absence.  My two and a half year old had a lot of questions for me as to where our pet had gone, and I found myself addressing the topic of death with him.  Of course I adapted my explanation for his age and maturity level, explaining that our cat, Amiga was in heaven and that she was happy thereRead More ...

Editor´s Note:  Today we kick off a very special week in celebration of two festivities that define our biculturalism:  Halloween and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.)  Throughout the week we will feature guest posts and videos that will add color, spice and vida to Día de Muertos Week on SpanglishBaby.  So, make sure you are subscribed to our feed so you don’t miss a beat! Today´s post, written by Verónica Gonzalez Smith, is an introduction to howRead More ...

It’s been a little bit over a month since we jumped into our language-learning adventure with Little Pim. While there has definitely been some progress – Vanessa’s vocabulary in French has expanded a bit – I must admit I have an even bigger appreciation of those who don’t speak the minority language and are still raising their children bilingual. As I admitted to Julia Pimselur, Little Pim’s founder, during our monthly Skype “consultation,” this first month has been a realRead More ...

I am not sure how to explain my son’s latest language development phase, except to say that he now knows he speaks two languages. He has always responded to two and spoken two, but only in the past few weeks has he started naming Spanish and English as separate entities. I am fascinated by his sudden realization, because this is yet another example of something kids pick up yet are never explicitly taught – a reminder that we are bornRead More ...

I’ve been doing some serious thinking about what will happen next year when Vanessa goes to kindergarten because there are basically no options when it comes to dual language education in Denver. Well, that’s not totally true, but the options that do exist are really not feasible for our family. Let’s see, there’s the private school she went to for the French immersion camp this summer. While I’d love for her to go there, unfortunately, it’s out of our leagueRead More ...

I was at a Dual Language Education conference a few years ago when the keynote speaker mentioned something very intriguing about phonological development in babies. He said that the gibberish babies’ express could very well come from a multitude of languages. In other words, infants are literally taking in every sound they hear! He went on to explain that while parents are cooing back at their baby, their baby could actually be reiterating bits and parts of the Farsi theyRead More ...

Ah, September.  I love this time of year.  I love books and school supplies, and knowing that soon the heat will finally subside and fall will be here.  I love making plans for Halloween and Thanksgiving and knowing they’re not too far away.  I love reading all the back-to-school posts on the blogs I follow.  I love knowing my own kids will be back in school and surrounded by familiar faces, with some teachers and classmates they’ve known for twoRead More ...