It’s always fun to see the benefits of bilingualism laid out in a colorful infographic like the one below I found on UnivisionNews.com. Monolingual VS Bilingual infographic ...
Are Two Languages Better Than One? {Infographic}
5 Things To Avoid When Raising Bilingual Children
Raising bilingual kids is no easy task. That’s why I’m never surprised when I hear from parents who say they had every intention of making it happen with their children, but somehow things didn’t go as planned. While there is no right or wrong way of raising bilingual children, I do think there are some of the things we parents have been known to do which tend to hinder the process. But before I get to the list, I just want toRead More ...
Celebrating Diversity and Teaching Kids Empathy
Not only is my daughter an only child, she’s also a mom blogger’s only child. You could correctly assume she’s a bit — okay, a lot! — spoiled. It’s just the nature of our life. She gets mom’s and dad’s undivided attention when we’re together, and there’s nothing we want to change about that. As a mom blogger’s daughter who lives in L.A., she’s gone to Disneyland and Disney World as a VIP more times than she should have atRead More ...
The Importance of Play in Raising #BilingualKids
The benefits of teaching children two or more languages are immense and really the best gift you can give them. Research has proven that bilingual kids are better multi taskers, they can concentrate and focus better, and they have enhanced literacy skills. Not only is bilingualism beneficial to the brain, but it also opens kids up to wider cultural perspectives and understandings. That said, parents must be motivated and willing to put in the effort and consistency necessary to successfullyRead More ...
Our Favorite Books for Parents Raising Bilingual Children
1) Bilingual: Life and Reality by François Grosjean — Professor Grosjean is no stranger to bilingualism. Not only is he one (English/French), but he has basically dedicated his career to this topic and his expertise includes code-switching and borrowing – two of my favorite areas when it comes to bilingualism. He’s written other books too, such as Life with Two Languages and Studying Bilinguals. I’ve only read this last one and I devoured it as soon as I got my hands on itRead More ...
7 Fun Board Games to Play in Spanish
My family loves to play juegos de mesa: from Candyland to Monopoly to dominó, it’s a chance to have fun as a family while speaking lots of Spanish. Some games that we love can be manipulated a bit to play in Spanish, such as Pictionary, Taboo and Scattegories. But here is a list of our favorite board games to play that encourage lots of communication and reinforcement of concepts, without the need to change anything or buy a “Spanish version.”Read More ...
Money as a Barrier to a Bilingual Life
Today, I’m writing about something that most of us don’t talk about: MONEY. Personal finances. Status. Just typing the words makes me cringe because they are such taboo topics in this first world, competitive country. None of us likes to admit that we might be down on our luck, or that we can’t afford to keep up with the Joneses (or los López, as the case may be). This constant pressure is something we can get over when we’reRead More ...
Creating a Bilingual Community
January is almost done, completely ushering in 2013. I love this time of year because it serves as a natural point of review and reflection. Sure, you can make goals and resolutions anytime of year. In fact, I encourage anyone to mediate on what is most important in their life, setting actionable steps to achieve those goals. But, January is just that time of year that gives everyone a chance. No excuses necessary. My identity continues to change and grow,Read More ...
