week in links

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 ...

Bilingual Children Better at Math, Reading — In case you needed more proof that bilingual is better, a new study has found that bilingual kids “develop better working memory that holds and processes large chunks of information faster than monolinguals.” “I Want to Be Bilingual” Letter from a Newborn Baby from Bilingual Monkeys — I love this letter written from the point of view of a baby talking to his parents. If your baby could talk, this is what she wouldRead More ...