photo by : USAG-Humphreys

If learning more than one language were a product, and some would argue that it is, I think the label would read something like this, Trilingualism: the key to the past, present, and future!

My bebita has reached the phase (17+ months) where the use of language is supposed to take off. That being said, I have gotten a little obsessed with trying to count the number of words she can say or comprehend but does not verbalize, yet. I learned that the majority of the words she can verbalize are in Spanish—success! The number of English words, French words, and words she can sign happen to be equal in number—hmm!

To be honest, I wasn’t completely surprised. After extensively reading about trilingual development I learned that being consistent about the amount of exposure to each language is key to acquiring all languages at a nearly equal rate. Fortunately, we have a plan, but still, as any parent trying to teach their baby more than one language this can be worrisome. I wonder if parents in pursuit of more than one language are always as frantic about how much of the minority language their child is learning as I have been. I wonder if this will always be the case or maybe once I know that my bebita can actually speak Spanish better than me, I will finally be able to sleep at night.

There’s more to the ultimate and the ambitious goal of trying to raise a child with three languages. I’ve mentioned before that it is no different, in my opinion, than the parent who wants her child to learn how to play an instrument. There are cognitive benefits in learning multiple languages, just like there is in playing an instrument, but the reason I want my baby to learn more than one language, one I hold close to my heart, is because I believe that language is closely tied to an individuals sense of identity. I want my daughter to know where she comes from. I want her to understand, to a certain degree, one achieved only through speaking multiple languages, that her maternal abuelita crossed the border illegally many times to work in this country so that future generations, like her, could have a better life. I believe that knowing multiple languages can offer a window to the way other people see the world. It can offer a window to the past, to the present, and to the future.

My deliberate decision to pursue trilingualism for my daughter is firmly rooted in my experiences as an educator and as a bilingual individual. Spanish is the key to her past, French (which could be any other language but for practical reasons we chose it—key for cognitive benefits is more than one language, any language) for the cognitive benefits, and English, well it’s the local language.

Why do you want your child to learn more than one (possibly three) language(s)?

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{Photo by: WellspringsCS}

Growing up, gifts or money enclosed in a greeting card meant I knew what I would be doing the next day – writing “thank you” letters.

My mother wasn’t strict with my sisters and I in many ways – but when it came to etiquette, we knew what was expected of us. Fortunately, writing the “thank you” letters never felt like an obligation to me because I loved to write, I loved everything about the process of sending mail, and I loved knowing that in a few days an aunt or grandmother would be made happy when she received it.

All of this has come in handy now that I have my own kids and my own reasons for wanting them to write “thank you” letters. Not only do I have my boys do this for etiquette and to keep in touch, but in the age of E-mail, letter writing is an art I want my children to know.

The last reason to encourage your children to write “thank you” letters? When writing to Spanish-speaking family, it is the perfect opportunity to practice their written language skills!

With the holidays coming up, your children will have plenty to thank people for. Here are some excellent tips on how to get started from Margaret Shepherd, author of the new book, Learn World Calligraphy, and The Art of the Handwritten Note.

“I’m going to stop sending presents.” “It’s like dropping money into a black hole.” “What happened to gratitude-or manners?” “What’s wrong with this generation?” I hear this kind of complaint a lot from grandparents who send a child a gift and never hear back. It’s a common situation with an easy solution. All you need to fix it is to choose from a list of twelve little techniques to change the child’s behavior and accept one big idea to change your own attitude (see #6). I’ve been that child, and I’ve been that parent.

12 ways to help you help your child write thank-you notes

1. Start a holiday tradition. Children do better when they know what is expected of them. An annual gift of stationery will set the stage. Focus your holiday on promoting your family’s generosity and gratitude.

2. Schedule. Set aside a specific chunk of time, the sooner the better. The quiet day after Christmas day is often available.

3. Clerical support. Make sure the child has all the materials she needs and a place to work. That includes stationery, pens, return address stickers, stamps, and addresses.

4. Sugar coating. Add little extras to make it more fun, such as stickers, glitter, pretty envelopes, and interesting stamps.

5. Training wheels. Help them over the hard parts by supplying phrasing, steno service, models for capital letters. Some people like to help a very small child by taking dictation, or an older one by suggesting phrases. I recommend the 3-sentence structure; name the gift, mention the occasion, and express gratitude for the thought. Whatever gets ink on the page and into the mail.

6. Aspiration. Letter writing has the sophistication of grown-up behavior. Set a good example by portraying thank-you notes as something you like to do-you can’t expect the child to be eager to write notes if you bad-mouth them as a chore.

7. Companionship. Sit down and write while the child writes.

8. Reward. Some parents like to set up a reward for completing the job such as earning an television time, adjusted bedtime, or other treat.

9. Deadline/downside. Include some negative reinforcement. For instance, you can declare that she cannot play with a toy till it’s thanked for. Other privileges can be tied to saying thank-you, but should not trivialize the wonderful glow that comes simply from having expressed gratitude.

10. Imaging. Help the child remember the person with pictures, and remind her why the gift gave her pleasure by keeping it in sight. What if she did not like it? Help her imagine the letter on its way to the recipient. And make sure that person reinforces the child’s good behavior.

11. Reciprocity. Help the child understand why a handwritten note is worth the trouble by sending her one yourself. Most children today do not receive letters in the mail, making this an unfamiliar experience. You can’t expect a child to picture someone else’s pleasure on receiving a handwritten note if she’s never gotten one herself.

12. Work behind the scenes. Reassure the grandparent or other gift-giver that the gift arrived, the child liked it, and the thank-you note will get written. Try to keep the giver from putting the child on the defensive while the child masters the task.

These strategies also work for adults, helping the bride or groom, birthday celebrator, and recent graduate to do the right thing. A handwritten note is still the gold standard for saying “thank you.”

These tips are adapted from The Art of the Handwritten Note, by Margaret Shepherd, from Broadway Books/Random House.

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While I completely understood her reasons for going back home, I was devastated and searched in vain for her replacement. One day, as I was about to lose all hope, she told me about the wife of a nephew of hers, a young woman, also from Mexico, who was looking for a job, but who didn’t really have a ton of experience working with children. Because I was at wit’s end and because I obviously trusted her judgement, I decide to go ahead and meet this young woman.

Long story short, she’s been with us for almost eight months and we couldn’t be happier. Besides the fact that she is utterly amazing with our children – she has a ton of energy! – I have also been pleasantly surprised by all the stuff she’s taught them… in Spanish. While she is bilingual, our nanny got here as a teenager, so her first language is Spanish – and that surely makes me happy!

Yesterday, as we were on our way to the mountains, Vanessa started signing out of the blue. None of the songs she sang were ones I’d taught her nor where they ones I remembered from her children’s CD’s in Spanish. She entertained all of us with her beautiful, little voice and when she was done, I asked where she’d learn them and she told me her nanny had taught her.

When we got back home, she showed me a notebook where our nanny had written out the lyrics to all the songs they like to sing together, some she has taught them, the others Vanessa already knew and apparently asked her to write them down.

Here’s a sample of the ones Vanessa sung for us last weekend:

Todas las mañanas cuando sale el sol

sale la gallina y se le ve el calzón.

Vienen los pollitos de Chapultepec

y el más pequeñito se parece a usted.

————

Allá en la fuente, había un chorrito

se hacia grandote, se hacía chiquito

estaba de mal humor

pobre chorrito tenía calor

And here’s a short little video of Vanessa singing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qowmJ_dDTD0

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My son Santiago turned two a month ago and I am blown away by how his vocabulary has exploded. Like his sister, he was an early talker. But the real expansion in his repertoire of words has taken place in the last couple of month.

He loves music. Not only to dance to it, but also to sing it. Just last night, he was serenading me right before bedtime and even after I could hear him signing through the monitor for a good 10 minutes after we turned the lights off in his room. Some of his favorite songs are:

• El patio de mi casa
• Aserrín, Aserrán
• Tengo una muñeca
• Los pollitos dicen

His sister Vanessa taught him the majority of these, which I guess is one of the huge benefits of having an older bilingual sibling.

Our nanny is also responsible not only for teaching him some of these songs, but also for his extended vocabulary. In fact, a couple of days ago he surprised me with his knowledge of several colors in Spanish.

All this got me thinking about how different things can be the second time around.

I clearly remember the real worries I had sending Vanessa to a parent’s day out program when knew practically no English when she was 2 years old. I wondered if I should’ve spoken to her in English to prepare her for the unknown territory into which I was making her venture. Time would prove that there was no need for me to worry, but – as many lessons in life – I could’ve only known this by going through the process.

When it came time for Santiago to follow in her sister’s footsteps in mid-August as the parent’s day out program got started, not once did I worry about how he’d communicate with his teachers as I had done years before with Vanessa.

While I wasn’t able to stay at home with my son as long as I did with my daughter, we’ve been blessed with two amazing niñeras who have definitely done their share to enrich his Spanish vocabulary. And for that, I will always be grateful.

Unfortunately, because I am more lax and have less doubts about raising bilingual children this time around, I’m embarrassed to say I feel like I’ve dropped the ball in one of the most important areas of language learning: reading. It’s not like I don’t read to him in Spanish at all, but how much I do read pales in comparison to what I used to read to his sister when she was his age. Santiago loves books – which he calls lolos – and this is one area where I have promised myself I will improve. It is only fair.

For now, the kids still talk to each other in Spanish, but that’s because I’ve told Vanessa that Santiago doesn’t speak English, which is the honest truth. As he gets a bit older and his exposure to English increases (he’ll be attending preschool three times a week next school year), I am imagining things will change.

Deep down inside, though, I hope I’m wrong. But I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Promise to keep you posted.

What are your views in raising bilingual siblings? Do they help each other out? What are your stories?

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My plan was to write about a completely different topic today, but something pretty amazing has been happening the last couple of days with Vanessa in her Kindergarten class.

When I informed her teacher that Vanessa is bilingual, she told me there were two kids in her classroom who also spoke Spanish, but are not bilingual yet and so they are attending ESL classes. I wanted to ask who they were and if I could meet their parents, but I figured I’d just let that happen kind of organically figuring there’d be plenty of opportunities for this.

But then, I wasn’t able to attend the open house where all parents were invited to the classroom so Vanessa’s teacher could give a presentation and answer questions. And so, I missed that opportunity to possibly introduce myself and Vanessa to these kids and their parents.

Instead, I told my daughter that there are two children who speak Spanish in her class who are learning English and that she’s lucky to speak both languages because maybe she could help them if it ever looked like they didn’t understand what was being said or if they maybe wanted to talk to other children in Spanish. Unsure of how much of this she understood, I kind of just left it at that.

Later on, when I asked Vanessa if she had met the Spanish-speaking kids, she told me she hadn’t and I know these past three weeks have been so overwhelming for her that I didn’t want to push the issue too much. But when we got to school Wednesday morning, she happened to get in line just behind one of these children – the one that we both have noticed cries every single morning when his dad leaves. ¡Pobrecito! Kindergarten can be a tough adjustment, and I’m sure not speaking a lot of English doesn’t make it any easier.

I guess the dad heard my kids and I speak because he immediately turned around and asked if we spoke Spanish. I said yes, introduced myself and ask about his son. We barely had time before they opened the school doors and the kids marched in, and so I quickly reminded Vanessa what I’d told her about being bilingual and gave her a kiss good-bye.

That afternoon, her teach told our nanny that Vanessa had made a new friend. When I asked her about it later on that evening, she told me that his new friend spoke Spanish, just like her.

On Thursday, when my husband dropped our daughter off at school, he said that as soon as the he saw her, the little boy came running to her and said, “¡Hola Vanessa!” with a smile in his face and they started chatting. And then, for the first time since school started three weeks ago, the little boy didn’t cry when his dad left…

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Photo courtesy of Suzanne Mateus

Anyone that gets to know my little girl will notice that she is very observant. Yes, even at the tender age of eleven months the girl soaks up her surroundings before taking the plunge to interact. To watch her reactions on our first family vacation was, as cliché as this may sound, priceless!

There are numerous stories about my time in Miami that replay in my mind each time I am about to visit the vibrant, colorful, Latino city! The first time I traveled there, over ten years ago, I felt as if I were somewhere in Latin America. For these two reasons alone I was extremely excited to immerse my bebita in a different culture: the Miami-Cuban culture!

I was looking forward to sharing the food, the music, the beautiful beaches (her first time ever to the beach) and the local language that make up a huge part of Miami’s Cuban identity. We were lucky to be in town when an annual event occurs to remember and experience Cuban culture. My mother makes it a point to attend Cuba Nostalgia (http://www.cubanostalgia.org/) as often as possible. I think it gives her an opportunity to indulge in a version of nostalgia for her native country of

Mexico. It is her excitement and my interest in celebrating Latino culture that motivates me to transmit the same spark to my bebita, starting now!

When we arrived to Cuba Nostalgia there was a cacophony of noise coming from every direction.  It reminded me of the buzz that seems to permeate around Miami from the chatter of the people (also referred by Cubans as the tiki, tiki) to the salsa music on every other station. I thought to myself that “…this, this would be a great city to raise a trilingual baby.” The use of Spanish certainly dominates, but my husband and I noted several languages being spoken almost everywhere we went.

What I loved most about my baby’s first traveling adventure was seeing the look on her face when she experienced something new. For instance, when she awoke from her nap at Cuba Nostalgia she saw a lot of people dancing and the noise didn’t seem to even faze her. In fact, at one point my mom brought her one of the maracas a local booth was giving away and she held it tightly in her hand while shaking it to participate with everyone else! In addition, her reaction when her little hand touched sand for the first time reminded my mom of how much I disliked it as a baby also. Lastly and most importantly, the opportunity to hear Spanish in a different context other than our home in Central Texas was pivotal, in my opinion, for her development as a Spanish speaker.

I like to refer to the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, with this last point. She states in one of her songs sin clave no hay son (without the key, there is no rhythm). One of salsa music essential ingredients is la clave (the key). It’s a certain beat that many times I have seen people clap. Well, that’s exactly how I feel about becoming bilingual or trilingual. The key, or as Celia puts it, la clave is immersion and in multiple contexts. My bebita, I am proud to say, got to experience la clave, both figuratively and literally speaking. I must say that it will certainly be hard to compete with Spanish as she gets older and as we attempt to provide a remotely similar experience for the third language (French) we are teaching her.

Nonetheless, I think what my mom said about Sabrina’s experience at Cuba Nostalgia pretty much sums up her first travel experience and immersion in Latino culture, “It was like she knew exactly what her mama & papa love (everything and anything Latino), and went right along with the celebration!”

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An Immersion Adventure in Mexico | Making Friends

Editor’s note: This is Part 3 in a continuing series by Amy Read more ...

"The Three Mango Muskateers" - Amy's boys and their new friend

Editor’s note: This is Part 3 in a continuing series by Amy Conroy. To read the first two parts, go here.

I would like to revisit one of the golden truths I’ve learned, Point C: our children are our best allies, our most gracious and charming ambassadors (when they’re not throwing berrinches or acting like super-ninjas in the local supermarket).  What I mean by this is that my experience right now would not be as rich without my children.

The simple truth is that if your children make friends with another child, a whole new world is open to them and yourself – certainly a new relationship (between the children, but also between adults), but I am also speaking of invitations and opportunities that might never have found their way to you otherwise.  And thus, I am so grateful!  The mommy network is a powerful thing, and from the time we have arrived in San Miguel de Allende, we have been graciously welcomed into the social folds and homes of many locals.

All of this is not to say that we don’t miss our friends from home! We’ve been here a month, and it happened – Jack hit ‘the wall’.  Sadly but somewhat predictably, my oldest had his first break with cultural assimilation. Someday we will chuckle over the physical circumstances of the said ‘break’, but I felt so badly for him. I could absolutely empathize. I’ve been there myself, and it made me tear up. He is thriving in his life down here. I am seeing a whole new side of him, relishing in the stimulation of everything that is new and different. It is beautiful to witness. Still, we dined at the rooftop restaurant of a posh 5 star hotel when my parents visited and of all things, the restroom did it. I know that sounds ridiculous, but to be honest I think it was because it was so clean and offered American-style plumbing (i.e. you could flush toilet paper down the toilet). He spontaneously broke into tears. It was so inexplicable at first that I didn’t understand what was happening, “Are you hurt? ¿Qué pasó?” But his tears were deeper, not ‘a mere flesh wound’[i]. We had been watching the sunset with a gorgeous and captivating vista, eating scrumptious food, celebrating our family’s Easter visit, and it all came together – or you could say, fell apart. He missed home. He missed Daddy. He missed his friends, his toys, everything. I totally understood where he was coming from – everything here is different. He is adapting beautifully, but you’d need to lack memory to not miss the things that make you feel comfortable.

I hugged him, I empathized; I got it. It’s so normal, it’s so observant of him to notice the details, and that, too, is part of the whole experience. He actually recovered quite quickly while it hit me to the core. I had to stop myself from continuing to comfort him because he was fine, as quickly as he hadn’t been. It was a moment. And while it rocks my world to think that he might suffer because of something I’ve chosen for him, I know that it is a big step toward all of the gains and positive things that he will take away from our experiences. It is happening. He is building his ‘cultural capital’[ii], one of my most favorite concepts. As we all know, ‘capital’ – fiscal or otherwise, isn’t easily gained or lost. It is earned.

So, you have two worlds. Nothing can replace a good friend – there or here. I’ve tried to explain it to my 7-year-old like this:  if you have an orange, it represents everything about your home in Los Angeles – your bedroom, your toys, friends, school, food, extra-curricular activities, everything – and you have a ton! But you, you also have an apple. And that represents all of the things and experiences you have here, in San Miguel: the friends, fiestas, policía on horseback outside our breakfast window, the Jardín (& associated toys), Parque Juarez, numerous taxis and limonata, etc., etc. You are lucky because you get both. Before, you only had one. Now you have two. The orange and your world at home aren’t going anywhere. I promise that they will be there when you return.

All of which leads me to my next truth about our ‘sabbatical’ in Mexico: Point D. Whatever you think is going to be easy, most likely isn’t. Conversely, whatever you anticipate being difficult might just be easy.

I have lots of examples to share. First of all, referencing my little cuento above – you would have thought a quick visit to the restroom to be simple. Alas, it was a layered experience that unfolded and will continue to reverberate. Enrolling in school? Tedious at home (U.S.) and filled with applications and wait lists, but super easy here – done in a day. Joining a Country Club? Fill out an application and pay money in the U.S.  Here? Additionally, please provide us with copies of your marriage certificate, birth certificates, and felony record if applicable (what?!  – must be bad hearsay, but makes me laugh to consider). Fresh fruit juice? Dime a dozen here vs. costly at home.  Phone call? All depends on your resources available and how well you understand the cellular vs. landline infrastructure of Mexico, i.e. can easily be confusing. Transportation? We hop in our car to go anywhere at home. Here, you walk, which I LOVE, or you take a taxi for 25 pesos nearly everywhere. Parking is considered unmanageable and common knowledge, so you’re better off not having to deal with a car.

However, transporting three children to two schools and home each day isn’t so easily done in a taxi. Clearly, this should have been realized in advance but I had made our trip to Mexico into a panacea of sorts. So after spending 2.5 hours each day in a taxi without a/c for a week in 90 degree plus weather, I tackled the luxury of obtaining a car and returning to my comfort zone. I feel a tiny bit ashamed and my friends loosely mock me, but what can I say? I am a Los Angelean and we love our personal automobiles. After inquiring about sky-high rental rates and considering a cuatro-moto for our needs, a friend offered to rent me his car. It seemed win-win all around as he hadn’t been using it and I clearly needed to, but he was apprehensive of my driving abilities since it is a manual truck with a stick shift.

He had a quick errand to do and suggested that I drive to “test it out”. I leave my children with my parents (who don’t speak a lick of Spanish) and tell them not to leave the house (3 little ones can be unwieldly in America let alone MX!), as I’ll be back shortly.  Two and a half hours later I find myself on the top of a gorgeous mountain ridge somewhere between San Miguel de Allende and Queretero drinking mezcal with the charming owner of a stunning ranch. And while it is 100% lovely, I am anxious to get back to my kids! I don’t even know exactly where I am, and I’ve left them in a foreign country all alone — time is tickin’, my friends! “They all speak English, right? They’ll be fine…” the dueño says. I know he’s right, and I have to check myself. Nobody else in our posse has children, so they don’t understand that I am the sole and primary caretaker in residence of my lovies! Against my gut, I consciously tell myself to enjoy this unexpected treat. Years ago, there would have been no conscious telling myself of anything, I simply would have relished the absurdity of the adventure.

Needless to say, it was great. I returned three hours later than expected with a wonderful memory and just a tiny bit of angst. My parents were pleased with the time spent solo with my kids, and everyone was happy. Plus, going to school in our own vehicle has greatly reduced the stress of everyday life.

Again, however, none of that would have happened if we hadn’t become friends with somebody who took kindly to my children: no car, no ranch views, no mezcal.  And where is the adventure in that?!  Thank you, my little ambassadors…

Next up: Fiestas, Pageantry, and Fun

Amy Conroy is the mother of three young children and holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology. An advocate of bilingualism, Amy founded habla blah blah (www.hablablahblah.com) and is passionate about introducing non-native speakers to Spanish through music and fun. Amy is a native Los Angelean on extended leave in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, MX. She also contributes to Dotcoms for Moms (http://www.dotcomsformoms.com) as their ‘modern maven’.

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Editor´s note:  The following is a guest post from Clara Carrier from the Ronald McDonald House of Charities

After thirteen years as a Colombian-American, life in the U.S. has come with many challenges, but also very gratifying experiences. One of these is my own job. Yes, you read it right, my very own trabajo. For the first time in many years, I am able to dedicate my time and efforts to further a mission of improving the health and well being of children and their families.

The thought of having my five year-old son Nico face a seriously illness or being very sick, breaks my heart. I can’t even picture myself, my familia, dealing with that situation. I am sure this feeling is one that only Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) families in fact know about.

This is what RMHC does; this organization – dear to my heart – provides stability and vital resources for families so they can get and keep their child healthy and happy. This organization has changed my life in meaningful ways, and it could change tu vida también. Just keep reading and you’ll find out how!

My work at RMHC is truly una bendicion. Both professionally and personally, working at RMHC has been an opportunity for me to learn, grow and become a better professional, but most important, a better person. Through my daily tasks and responsibilities, and as an RMHC volunteer, I am able to make a difference in the lives of these children and families. I can go to bed every night feeling good about myself, and guess what — you can feel that way too.

At work, we are tan contentos! We just launched our first campaign of the year — a celebration of existing and a call-to-recruit new RMHC volunteers! So throughout April, we are honoring RMHC volunteers and also encouraging people like you to use your time and talent to make a difference in your comunidad, and a way to teach your hijos the value of giving back and social responsibility.

We have a network of more than 30,000 staff and volunteers that pitch in every day to make our programs, like the Ronald McDonald House, run smoothly. Honestly, los voluntarios de RMHC are the backbone of our organization – they save our system more than $40 million in costs every year and ensure that families have more time together when their child is in the hospital – time that helps in the healing process.

I have volunteered with my son Nico and it has been an unforgettable experience. I invite you to learn more about RMHC and get involved. Es muy fácil:

1.       Go to www.rmhc.org to take a tour of a virtual Ronald McDonald House – see all the ways that volunteers lend a hand around the House.

2.       So what can you do as a volunteer? Simple. You can cook deliciosos platillos, bake galleticas dulces, fundraise, clean, craft or garden for the families at a Ronald McDonald House. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities, you can get your family involved, and it’s easy to find one in your community – search at www.rmhc.org.

3.       And once you volunteer, you can tell el mundo entero about your support of the RMHC families by tagging yourself as an RMHC volunteer on our Facebook page.

4.       Necesitas más inspiración? Browse through a cache of amazing RMHC volunteer stories that are pretty inspirational. If you are 9 or 92 years young and anywhere in between, at RMHC it is so easy to volunteer, and everyone is welcome!

Whether it’s cooking, cleaning or crafting – your support helps families find strength when they need it most. This is why I am sharing my historia with you today. Gracias to the Spanglish Baby team for allowing me to share my story with you, as I hope it will help amplify that impact RMHC has in the lives of 4.5 million families and children around the world, and inspire other people to get involved. We couldn’t do it without you.



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Remember a couple of weeks ago I told you that my daughter needs to be evaluated by a speech therapist because her clarity is below average for her age? I’m still waiting to get the appointment due to health insurance coverage issues. (No surprise here, huh?) Meanwhile, I’ve noticed something that left me in total awe and completely gave me one more point to validate her bilingualism.

As I’ve mentioned before, my girl has no problems expressing herself and is always talking up a bilingual storm. The lack of clarity in her speech has brought up many emotional issues of frustration when we don’t understand her. Of course, mamá is supposed to understand TODO, but that’s really not the case. Since she started going to a Montessori preschool two months ago, she’s been a lot more patient and creative in the ways she expresses herself. For example, the other day she wanted me to give her a “menta” (mint) but I wasn’t getting it. So she said and mimicked: “Grande, círculo blanco que pica.” Hilarious and smart. She’ll be great at charades!

A couple of days ago she was very excitedly telling me a story, but, again, I just could not understand one word in particular. I can’t remember the word right now, but the main point is that she immediately realized I wasn’t getting it so she repeated the word, IN ENGLISH. Ligthbulb moment for this mamá.  Bilingualism helps, not hinders her speech delay! Get it?  The fact that she knows two words for every object alleviates her feelings of frustration when we can’t understand her because she figured out she can just switch to the other language.

I can’t even begin to explain to you how happy, proud and amazed I was by this.  One more brownie point for the bilingual mission, and one more bilingualism myth to dispel.

As a matter of fact, recent studies have found that infants raised in bilingual households can tell unfamiliar foreign languages apart and that bilingual speakers who rapidly switch between languages are better mental multitaskers than their monolingual counterparts.  Qué bello, ¿no?

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My Girl Needs Speech Therapy. No, It Has Nothing to do With Her Being Bilingual!

Yes, that´s right. We´ve hit the dreaded speech development Read more ...

Yes, that´s right. We´ve hit the dreaded speech development wall.  My girl, Camila, turned 3 years old in August.  She´s been making sounds and talking up a storm as soon as she discovered she could. She has never been the calladita type.  She´s loud, full of energy and always has something to say.  Problem is, only a handful of people actually understand what she is saying.

She is up to speed with the amount of words in her bilingual repertoire and with the ability to construct sentences.  She also is really savvy at using the correct tenses and picks up new words very, very quickly.  Where she has a problem is in the clarity and pronunciation of her words.

Now, take a wild guess how many times I´ve been asked if it is due to her being bilingual?  I´ve stopped counting, it´s just not worth it.  And, it´s not coming from strangers or people who don´t know better.  The question has been raised within the confines of our ML@H household.  Yes, both my husband and I have questioned the fact that both of us only speak Spanish to her. I question it, but immediately dismiss it because I know better. If it wasn´t for the last two years of keeping up SpanglishBaby, reading our experts amazing advice, reading your stories and comments on our Forum and Facebook, plus researching for our Must Read articles I probably would have had falsely credited her bilingualism to her delay.

The fact is that this type of speech delay has been common in my family and my husbands.  Also, she has no problem distinguishing between Spanish and English words and using them when appropriate. Plus, her word count is where it needs to be.  If she was bilingual or not she would still have a speech clarity delay. Punto.

We go in for her first formal evaluation in three weeks.  I will let you know how it goes and what I continue to learn from this experience.  Stay tuned for a post in the coming weeks with expert advice on how to handle the perceived notion of bilingualism as the cause of speech delay.

Now, please tell me, has your bilingual child gone through speech therapy? How was the experience and what should I prepare myself, and Camila, for?  Thank you!!

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