Week in Links for #BilingualKids

The Mysteries of Bilingualism II on Psychology Today — Prof. François Grosjean delves into aspects of bilingualism that remain an enigma. In this case, he writes about language choice, code-switching and language interferences — topics that have been researched at the linguistic level, but not at the cognitive and neurolinguistic ones. ¡Aprender español está de moda! on El Sentinel — A look at how more and more people are realizing the importance of learning Spanish as a second language. New Fort Worth program will graduate bilingualRead More ...

Interactive US Census Map Pinpoints Foreign Language Speakers on Voice of America — Check out the languages spoken at the homes of more than 60 million people in the United States. Signing Foreign Phrases Makes Learning a Second Language Easier on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation — More proof that music is a great way to expose your children to Spanish. Here’s a list of some of our favorite children’s music in Spanish. 96 Things You Can Do Today to Boost Your Child’s Bilingual AbilityRead More ...

The Latino Children’s Summer Reading Program from Latinas for Latino Literature — I am so happy that our friend over at L4LL have put together this program and I can’t wait to get started with my two kids. Besides summer reading lists divided by age groups, there are also several useful resources and printables. The challenge is for your kids to read at least eight books from now to Aug. 12. To reward them, L4LL will be giving away prizesRead More ...

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language from NPR — I’m sure a lot of you can relate to Elysha O’Brien’s story about being a “Mexican white girl who doesn’t speak Spanish.” The college professor’s parents made a conscious decision not to pass on their native language to avoid discrimination. Sad, but very real for so many Latinos. WISD Shutters Dual Language Program — A school district in Texas decides to end the dual language immersion program in twoRead More ...

Will Spanish Thrive or Decline in the U.S.? from NPR’s new blog Code Switch — Our contributor Chelsea touched upon the points made in this article regarding the future of Spanish in the U.S. Check it out and let us know if you agree. Cinco de Mayo No Hecho en México, Actually from The Wall Street Journal — Another take on the future of Spanish in the United States from the authors of the forthcoming book “The Story of Spanish” (whichRead More ...

Saenz Awarded PEN/Faulkner Prize, First Hispanic Winner from Fox News Latino — I was super happy when I heard the news, not only because Benjamin Alire Sáenz is the first Latino to win the prestigious award, but also because we really like his bilingual children’s books and the publishing house behind them, Cinco Puntos Press. Felicidades to all! Challenges and tips for raising bilingual children from NBC Latino by Monica Olivera — Monica spoke to three experts about some of the mostRead More ...

Why raise a bilingual child? Parents on language, culture and roots from Multi American on KPCC — A must-watch if you’re raising bilingual children or thinking about it. I’m sure you’ll see yourself reflected in the reasons these parents give for raising bilingual kids. False Friends and Other Unwanted Companions from Psychology Today — Have you ever said “librería” when you really wanted to say “biblioteca?” Prof. Grosjean explores why interferences like that happen to bilinguals. My favorite part of the article is thisRead More ...

Do Bilingual Children Know Fewer Words Than Monolinguals? from InCultureParent — If you’re raising bilingual children, you’ve probably heard this question a lot. Here’s some great info to dispel this myth. Why Are They Talking so Fast? by François Grosjean from Psychology Today — I have been told I’m guilty of doing this countless times by non-native Spanish speakers. In another excellent post, Prof. Grosjean explains why it feels like people talk faster in a language we don’t master well. Childhood concerns about her biculturalRead More ...