I volunteer in my boys’ classrooms when I can, and we make a point of going to school events. One of my favorite things to do when it comes to school, though, is just hang out. They’re still young enough to get excited when I have a day off and can come have lunch with them in the cafeteria, and when I pick them up at aftercare on the early side, I like sitting with them and the other kids at the table while they finish writing and drawing, or wrapping up games of chess and Connect Four.

In the beginning, I got a lot of strange looks from their classmates — because I would sit down and chat with my sons in Spanish. The confusion, though, immediately gave way to curiosity and I was peppered with questions. What language is that? Is that Spanish? I didn’t know they spoke Spanish. Where are you from? Do you speak any other languages? And they listened attentively to my answers. The boys and I only speak Spanish at home. I lived in another country when I was a little girl. I only spoke Spanish with my mother. My job is helping people who speak different languages understand each other. I learned French, too, in France and in Africa.

The part I didn’t expect, and the part I love the most, is that after the questions the floodgates open and I get to hear all about their experiences. My parents went to Costa Rica once! I spent the summer in Russia with my grandparents. I learned my numbers in Spanish in preschool. I love listening to them, and I love building on their questions. Okay, let me hear your numbers. Did you learn your colors, too? Do you know how to say “school” in Spanish? And on and on we go.

In their eyes, I have become The Mom Who Speaks Spanish, and I like it. There are a few children who I know speak at least some Spanish at home, and I’ve taken to only speaking Spanish to them, as well. I think of the adults who encouraged me when I was little and I wonder if some day it might make the tiniest bit of a difference. At the very least, I hope some of them might get excited about languages.

I was walking out of school one day last week and one of the second-grade boys came running after me. “Mrs. Lane? I forgot to tell you the other day that my grandmother used to be a Spanish teacher.” I smile at him and start asking questions. Do you know what grade she taught? Did she teach it in grade school or high schoolers? That is so cool, I’m glad you told me.

I am The Mom Who Speaks Spanish.

{Photo by woodleywonderworks}

I’ve always been a shy child. But I’ve always been extremely proud of speaking another language. Here are five ways being bilingual helped boost my own self-esteem:

1) It has given me strong communication skills

Remember the first time you tried out your newly-learned language skills and managed to get out a full sentence and get a reaction that wasn’t confusion, but rather an answer to your question or a response to your request? Remember how confident you felt? The realization that you can talk to people and feel understood can give a great boost to your self-esteem and further motivate you to learn the language even better. For your child, it is similar. I love seeing the look on my daughter’s face when she realizes that she can communicate in another language. It’s about believing in your abilities.

2) It has allowed me to help others

I still remember how proud I was to help German tourists find their way in my hometown of Warsaw. I usually enjoy helping people, and through my knowledge of languages, I could help other children at school if they didn’t speak German so well. The knowledge that your kids can help people just by speaking another language can give them a powerful tool for helping others and make them feel more confident that way.

3) It helped me be proud of my differences

I always felt proud to speak another language so proficiently, even as a child with confidence issues. I knew this set me apart from other children who weren’t bilingual. I knew it was good to be different, and I really think that my strong knowledge of German in childhood made me a more resilient adult.

4) It helped me feel like I belonged

My knowledge of German got me into a better school than I could have hoped. It was a school with a strong German language program. There, I met like-minded people, and finally made friends. We knew that our school and our class set us apart from other schools, but it also made me feel welcome. As parents, we sent our child to an international school because we wanted her to feel normal speaking so many languages, but at the same time, make her understand that the mixture of language she is speaking is absolutely unique.

5) It brought me closer to my family

My parents are both multilingual and it allowed us to have a very special family language that nobody understood. A good relationship with my children is extremely important to me. With my eldest, we have our little Polish jokes, but at the same time, I also speak all languages she does. I believe that a good relationship with their parents can boost a child’s self-esteem. And I know that one of the ways of connecting with my children is through my and their multilingualism.

I know that these are just a few ways of boosting your child’s self-esteem. There are many more. But I also believe that this is even more of a reason to raise your child with multiple languages.

Olga Mecking is a Polish woman living in the Netherlands with her German husband. Together, they raise three trilingual children. Olga is also a trainer in intercultural communication, translator and blogger at The European Mama, which is a blog about multilingualism, expat life and parenting.You can find Olga over at her blog, her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.

{Image courtesy of Olga Mecking}

Some parents stop speaking to their children in their second language when the child seems “confused” because they use both languages simultaneously. The fact of the matter is that this is the way languages evolve when they come into contact. In fact, I have been meaning to record my 3-year-old’s colorful use of two languages.

Just the other day she said, “Rafa (her older cousin), do you want to comer?” Another example is when she was asking me to buy her a ball and she said, “Mami, necesito ese (pointing to coins on counter) money para comprar una pelota.” Adults do it, too! The other day my very bilingual husband created a new word spontaneously when speaking to our daughter (Hija in Spanish):

Hija: ¡Voy a saltar! (from a table to the couch)!

Me: Sabrina, por favor no saltes, le puedes dar un owie a tu hermanita y a ti misma.

Hija: Quiero saltar, mami. ¡Voy a saltar!

Me: No, mi amor. No saltes ahí.

Hubby: Sabrina, por favor no jompes.

Me [laughing]

Hubby: Aaah, what am I saying? I know that word. Por favor no saltes, mi’jita.

Hija: Voy a saltar.

Translanguaging is the use of multiple languages simultaneously to communicate. That is to say, translanguaging is a form of flexible bilingualism. In our home we speak nearly 100% of the time in Spanish to our daughter, although we use Spanish and English all the time between my husband and I. Bilingual exchanges are a very natural occurrence in our home state of Texas. In fact, the closer you get to the Mexico/U.S border the more prevalent the use of Spanish & English becomes in communicating with others.

My intent in sharing the way we communicate in our home is to provide readers a glimpse of what raising a bilingual child is like in an environment where languages aren’t strictly separated. It does not fall under the One parent, One Language (OPOL) method, nor does it fall under the Minority Language @ Home (ML@H) method. I am not quite sure our method has a name…. yet!

As I continue to help my daughter develop her bilingualism (and eventually trilingualism), I intend on proposing a name to the method we are using in raising her with multiple languages. I whole-heartedly believe that we don’t need to keep the use of Spanish and English because in the real world, languages, just like people, will meet and influence the very fabric of our existence.

Please share your thoughts! Especially if you think of a name to this “language contact” method I am using to raise my daughter with multiple languages. As I write this, I realize that maybe that’s the name I have been looking for: Language Contact Method (LCM).

{Image by  amslerPIX}

There is never a dull moment in this bilingual home of ours. Each day my husband or papi is getting better and expanding his vocabulary to more than just “caca” or “leche,” and my son incorporates words he has heard me say into his conversations with me — things he would only get from me. Not my mamá or his tata. For instance, when Lucía was crying he said “me carga cuando llora la Lucía.” Carga being the new word, one that I use probably too much. But he took me by surprise.

I don’t know why, I decided to test my son out. I’d never done it before, but I gave him orders in English. I said “hurry up and get in the car, we have to go now.” He stopped, stared and said laughing nervously “mami, nosotros no hablamos en inglés.” I kept going in English and suddenly I noticed he had tears in his eyes and he just looked scared. I changed back to Spanish and said “Perdóname. ¿No te gusta cuando te hablo en inglés?’ And he said something that took me by complete shock, “Cuando tu hablas en inglés es como que no eres mi mami”.

Talk about a total surprise! Then he followed it up by saying “Y la Lucía llora en español por que todavía no habla.” Wow, wow, WOW!

Then I remembered years ago when my grandparents came to visit us from Chile, my Oma had commented that I was a different person when I spoke Spanish than when I spoke in English. She said my tone of voice was softer and comforting whereas in English it was harsher and less “feminine” (her words, not mine!) It also happened in London, I was speaking with a client in English only to find out later he spoke Spanish as well. He said I was a completely different person when speaking Spanish, again he  mentioned something in the tone of voice. Now I’m no expert, but it makes sense.

I think language and personalities go hand in hand. My entire mamá-hijo relationship has only been in Spanish so to suddenly change now just scared my little guy. Pobrecito, it broke my heart to see the nervousness in his eyes.

What do you think, do you sound different when speaking different languages? Is it a confidence or fluency issue?

Recently my husband and I decided to go through the process of trying to get our daughter enrolled in a prestigious and private dual language school in our city. I honestly did not imagine having to go through what seems like a rigorous process this early on in her academic trajectory. She is almost three, which means she qualifies for the primary school grade classrooms. We learned that there were a limited of spots (~30) with over 125 applicants! We also learned that there are very few, if any, high quality three-year-old academic programs in town, making those ~30 spots highly competitive.

We jumped through all the hoops: filled out the extensive application, had my daughters current teacher fill out an evaluation form about her strengths and challenges, attended an information session, allowed for our daughter to be observed by teachers at the school, and lastly went through an hour long interview with the director of the school. By the time we were scheduled for the final step of the process, the parent interview, we started to question if we were making the right decision (not just financially) and were forced to reflect on whether or not we would fit in well with the current school community.

As I mentioned earlier, I began to wonder if this community was the right fit for us, but really I was more concerned with whether or not it was a right fit for me. When we attended the information session, I realized that it was the first time in my life that I had ever stepped foot in such a prestigious school. The second-generation immigrant of working class parents part of me felt completely out of place. My husband, having grown up abroad for most of his schooling years, attended private schools very similar to the one we were trying to get our daughter into. Not only did I attend public school for the majority of my schooling years, which was all taught in English; I also grew up in a community where Spanish and English flowed back and forth seamlessly. Interestingly, during the interview we were asked the following question:

Interviewer: Which language, Spanish or English, would you prefer to speak in?

Me: (hesitating a little): We prefer to speak in both languages.

Interviewer: Okay. Yes, that actually works well for me because there are parts of the interview where Spanish is more appropriate than English.

When asked to choose a language to speak in I simply could not. Both Spanish and English are part of my linguistic repertoire and they do not reside in separate spaces.  Being concerned about whether or not I would fit in with the school community I decided that I would be my self as much as anyone can in formal interview settings. Hesitantly, I responded that we preferred to use both languages. The interviewers response was a breathe of fresh air. I was starting to wonder if we were trying to enroll our daughter in a school where code switching may not be seen as a valuable linguistic tool, but if the director was willing to do it, then I can only assume that it will be welcomed.

In an earlier scenario, when we dropped off our daughter for her observation I noticed that we were the only parents speaking in Spanish to each other and to our daughter. I also noticed that we were the only Latinos (or in my case, the only Chicana). On top of the class diversity the school needs, a part of me hoped that we could contribute to the linguistic and ethnic diversity that seems to be missing.

A week later we found out we were wait-listed. The news wasn’t too surprising considering the number of applicants and the number of spots available, but at the same time one cannot help but wonder if that was the only reason. We are still hopeful. In a month we find out if there is a spot for the incoming school year.  Ay, veremos…

As a researcher of dual language programs, I have to say that there is definitely a trend occurring. The general public is starting to notice the importance and value in a multilingual education. Not only are public, charter, and private dual language schools emerging nation wide, the spots to get into them are extremely competitive. Parents are entering raffles, others are willing to pay the hefty price tag for the opportunity to learn in two languages. For my family, paying the price means compromising other aspects of our life for an investment in an education that is multilingual, global, inquiry-based, and student centered which should be the standard at every school.

Have you tried enrolling your son/daughter in a prestigious and private foreign language school? If so, what was the experience like?

{Photo by barnabywasson}

Linguicism includes the “ideologies and structures which are used to legitimate, effectuate, and reproduce unequal division of power and resources (both material and non-material) between groups which are defined on the basis of language.” This includes the languages we choose to teach our children and the ways we choose to expose them to those languages. In my opinion, for those that live in the U.S., Spanish should be one of the first choices when deciding which other language to learn, unless of course there are cultural reasons like one parent being from a non-Spanish speaking country.

One of the ways I was trying to guarantee Sabrina continues to develop relationships with Spanish-speaking individuals was by attempting to form a Spanish-speaking play date. I have to admit I was, like many of us have been, guilty of being a linguicist, if you will. My most recent offense was trying to form a playgroup, as mentioned, for parents who ONLY speak in Spanish to their children. It was unsuccessful on many accounts.

First, I learned that many of the parents I know (native speakers to non-native speakers of Spanish) do not strictly speak to their children in one language, which is very common here in Austin, Texas, as in other Latino communities in the U.S., like Miami and New York City. Secondly, I learned how open some parents are with how I communicate with my daughter despite their lack of understanding Spanish.

To my surprise, my most valuable resources were right in front of me. Most of my friends are bilingual and understand Spanish, which means speaking to Sabrina in Spanish will never be a problem. Though they don’t speak strictly in Spanish, Spanish and English do flow back and forth when communicating with their children. I also learned that Sabrina’s peers from daycare actually understand ME when we have gotten together for birthday parties even though they mostly come from English-speaking homes because they are attending a Spanish immersion school together.

Lastly, and most importantly, by modeling to Sabrina that she and I can continue to speak strictly in Spanish even though others may not understand us or that others use both languages simultaneously, I am also showing her how to be more accepting about the diverse ways other people use Spanish and English in our local community here in central Texas. After all, in addition to raising a multilingual baby, I am also trying to develop an awareness and appreciation for cultural, ethnic, economic, and linguistic diversity. This may seem like a huge task, but we have some time in our hands.

We’re totally loving this Bilingualism Across the U.S. infographic created by BestCollegesOnline.com! The graphic speaks for itself and we’re sure many of you are already aware of the info included, but we think it’s a great way to share with others why we consider bilingualism such an amazing benefit!

I don’t know if it’s because she’s been exposed to both English and Spanish since she was born, but my daughter has always shown an interest in other languages. Last year I started exposing her to French by using the Little Pim line of products. One of her favorite things is a poster that shows how to say “hello” in different languages, which is exactly the topic of Say Hello! the Scholastic Club Leo book I decided to review this month.

The book tells the simple story of Carmelita and all the people she meets in her neighborhood on her way to her abuelita’s home. All the people are from different countries and so they say hello to Carmelita in their own language. There’s the lady at the French bakery, the neighbors from Kenya, the owners of a Japanese restaurant and so on. Vanessa was quick to point out that she already knew how to say “hello” in three languages: Spanish, English and French.

I like that through the story my children can not only learn how to say “hello” in different languages, but it also gives me an opportunity to talk to them about other cultures and peoples of the world. The colorful illustrations really help me do this and I love that they portray a diverse neighborhood because my children are not really exposed to anything like that.

I think this is the perfect book for those children growing up bilingual, but even more so for those who are not so they can be introduced to the notion that there are tons of other languages spoken throughout the world. The book is in English, but has Spanish phrases embedded in it — as well as a pronunciation guide of all the “hellos” at the end of the book.

The Giveaway

We’re giving away one copy of Say Hello! to one lucky winner.

To enter, all you have to do is leave us a comment telling us how you teach your children about other cultures and languages.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

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This giveaway ends Wednesday, May 9 at 11:59 p.m. EST and is open to everyone with a U.S. mailing address over 18 years of age. Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Photo credit: pudgeefeet

“Back to basics” is at the core of everything I believe about teaching my children multiple languages; love is the essence. Here’s a list of seven basic virtues to help us get back to the basics in creating homemade multilingualism – with love!

1. Love

My passion for languages begins with my love for my family whether in the USA, France, Mexico or Peru. I keep in touch with them through phone calls, letters, the Internet and visits. My children also adore their extended family, and they know that if they want to communicate with those they love most, they’ve got to speak the language!

Courtesy of Elsie Rivas Gomez

Last week, I found myself passionately reading sonnets by Pablo Neruda to my 2-year-old. Yes, I know that sounds obnoxious, but the book is all pink, and she pulled it off the shelf…then I found the poem in it we read at our wedding…then I told her how romantic it was that Neruda wrote a hundred love sonnets for his wife…And somewhere between eyerolls, my husband suggested I should write love sonnets for the girls.

Now, that sounds easier than it is. Which I told him.  In a former life, I was a poet who wrote poems regularly and developed her craft. But somewhere between the babies and the job and and and…I’m lucky to get out a blog post here or there.  Still, I let myself think about it and that night I tried to compose one while up with the baby in middle of the night.  I’ve heard other moms say they compose blog posts like that.  However, I didn’t write it down and it dissapeared. Whoosh.  So, I did what I could and I wrote a poem, and you’ll find it below.

But, regardless of the poem, or maybe because of the poem, I’m thinking now of my other tongue. Not English or Spanish, but my creative tongue that used to tell stories and make poems.  I think perhaps I need to use that one more often.  As mothers and fathers, we are always code-switching between languages and roles, negotiating with ourselves for time and space.  I keep speaking in Spanish, Spanglish, and English to my girls because I want them to be able to speak in these idiomas facilmente. I want them to always have the words to express themselves.  Today, I’m thinking that maybe that’s too two-dimensional. So I’m going to try to also show them how to speak like a poeta, and maybe tomorrow like a scientist, and then like a mathmetician. Because if I want them to love their two languages, then I need them to play in all their voices and I know they have multitudes of voices inside. We all do.

Lost Poem by Elsie Rivas Gomez

I wrote a poem for you
at 3 am while rocking you, patting your warm back
willing your eyes to close, like mine
I wrote it between the beats of my heart
on the exhale of my breath into your hair

But it’s gone now

the sun filled our bed
and washed it away like the dark
edged out by the rising light

it was about you
something about
your eyes, how they hold your secrets
how inside them I can see
flickers of the woman you’ll become

it was about your skin
made of milk and tears
of so many spoken and unspoken wishes

I wanted to say something about how I am a mother
because you are my baby
how both those things can only be true together,
like some mathematical equation that I feel in my bones

I think I said something
about seeing my body in your body
at times
but how other times, like now,
you are a total surprise to me
with a dimple that didn’t come from me or your father
with a wry smile I don’t recognize

the poem I wrote for you was a sonnet
in iambic pentameter
which is easy to write in while rocking
to the sound of our hearts beating

but this moment
I’ve snuck away to type as your father holds you
and your sister dances for you
this moment is not so
rhythmic
it’s a stolen moment without you
the light harsher and the world noisier mid-morning

I just wanted to tell you
that there is a poem in me, and it is about you.

Even though the words are gone, it’s here
in the space beneath the center of my chest,
where you like to lay your head and sleep.

Poema Perdido por Elsie Rivas Gomez

Te escribi un poema
a las tres de la manaña, mientras te mecía, acariciandio tu espalda calientita
esperando que tus ojos se cierren, como los mios
Lo escribí entre los latidos de mi corazón
en la exhalación de mis respiros en tu pelo

Pero ahora se ha perdido

el sol llenó nuestra cama
y lo arrastró como la oscuridad
desplazada por la luz

se trataba de ti
algo acerca
de tus ojos, cómo guardan tus secretos
cómo dentro de ellos puedo ver
destellos de la mujer en la que te vas a convertir

se trataba de tu piel
hecha de leche y lágrimas
de tantos deseos hablados y secretos

Yo quería decir algo acerca de cómo soy una madre
porque vos sos mi bebé
cómo estas dos cosas sólo pueden ser verdaderas a la misma vez,
como una ecuación matemática que siento en mis huesos

Creo que dije algo
de ver mi cuerpo en tu cuerpo
a veces
pero cómo otras veces, como ahora,
sos un sorpresa completa
con un hoyuelo que no vino de mí ni de tu padre
con una sonrisa irónica que no reconozco

el poema que escribí para ti era un soneto
en pentámetro yámbico
que es fácil de escribir, mientras en la mecedora
al ritmo de los latidos de nuestros corazones

pero este momento
que me he escapado mientras tu padre te tiene en sus brazos
y tu hermana baila para ti
este momento no es tan
rítmico
es un momento robado lejos de  ti
la luz más dura y el mundo más ruidoso a media mañana

Solo te quería decir
que hay un poema en mí, y es acerca de ti.

Aunque las palabras se han ido, está aquí
en el espacio debajo del centro de mi pecho,
donde te gusta acostar tu cabeza y soñar.

Please, in the comments, share with me the other “languages” and voices you want to share and/or foster with your kids and any ideas you have for how to do so.