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 bilingual students on the Star-Telegram — Parents in Fort Worth whose children are attending dual language immersion elementary schools won’t have to worry about what’ll happen to their kids once they move on to middle and high school thanks to a new school, World Languages Institute, that will be open next fall.

Constant need for bilingual volunteers, more so during holidays on Journal and Courier — Interesting read about the need for bilingual volunteers to serve as translators in charitable organizations like the Salvation Army.

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 Ability on BilingualMonkeys.com —  This is an excellent list full of great ideas that all parents raising bilingual kids should keep handy.

Who, Exactly is a Gringo? also on NPR’s Code Switch — How do you define the word “gringo”? Do you find it offensive? Where did the word come from?

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 prizes such as picture books and tablets. So get on over there and register!

Arne Duncan Touts Advantages of Bilingualism from Education Week — U.S. Secretary of Education makes very clear comments about the importance of bilingualism and why educators should not forget that English learners “come to school with a major asset” — their native language, which needs to be maintained so they can become bilingual.

North Carolina school a standout for bilingual education from La Prensa — I love reading about successful DL programs. In this case,  it’s a North Carolina school which has become a national model for its bilingual program and curriculum. Bravo!

The Questions People Get Asked About Race from NPR’s Code Switch — Funny, ridiculous, surprising, ignorant, frustrating, insulting… just some of the adjectives that come to mind when reading about the questions people get ask about their race, culture, ethnicity, etc.

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 two of its elementary schools, and the parents are rightly shocked, confused and angered. Many say they moved to the area to get their kids into the school and had to sign a contract saying they would commit to staying for six years in order for the program to be successful. What are they supposed to do now?

Dual Language Program Has Parents Camping for Days — The length parents who understand the importance of bilingualism will go to to get their kids enrolled in a dual language immersion program. ¡Qué bien!

Will y Jaden Smith llegaron a Despierta América hablando español — This is a must watch! I was actually surprised by how much Spanish Will Smith speaks and I have to congratulate it for how hard he tried to stick to Spanish during the entire interview. Good for him¡! (Hat tip to the awesome Tracy of Latinish. Gracias, amiga!)

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” (which I just started reading and can’t get enough of and will be reviewing/giving away soon!). Did you know that “in the next decade America’s Spanish-speaking population is expected to surpass Spain’s, Venezuela’s and Argentina’s?”

Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages from TIME magazine — Do you think it’s possible that multilingual kids may exhibit social empathy sooner than monolingual children? This article explores this notion and more.

The Benefits of Being Bilingual from Univision — Have you seen the super popular videos done on a white board that explain science concepts in a simple way? This is one of those done about the benefits of bilingualism. Enjoy!

Immersion Schools Get Strategic About Foreign Language Education from Fox News Latino — A look at the ever-growing number of dual language immersions schools in the country, with a special look at a Los Angeles’ school district that proves bilingual education is the solution to underperformance.

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 most common challenges when raising bilingual children.

Coming full circle on bilingualism from Los Angeles Times — The story of so many of us: growing up we either weren’t taught or parents’ native language or we just didn’t care to learn it. But things change once we grow up, become parents and want to make sure our roots are passed on to the next generation. The author explores this topic explaining how much things have changed.

Spanish-speking pope an inspiring look at things to come from the National Catholic Reporter  — Will having a pope who’s first language is Spanish help change how this language is viewed in the rest of the world? Will it give Spanish more prestige?

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 this one because I can totally relate: “… when bilinguals are fluent in both languages, interferences are often two way, with each language being able to influence the other from time to time. This leads some bilinguals to think that maybe they don’t speak either language well when, in fact, these are very small bumps on a what is usually a smooth road.”

Learning English can help immigrants survive from The Denver Post — I don’t think the headline reflects it well, but the author of the column, Abraham Morales, is really trying to convey the importance of being bilingual. I agree with him that all immigrants would benefit immensely from learning English, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of forgetting their Spanish.

Los Pollitos – A Story and Coloring Book from Spanish Playground — Our friends from Spanish Playground and Music with Sara have joined forces to bring you this super cute classic story that your bilingual kids will love!

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 bicultural self changed into Mexican-American pride from Borderzine — An interesting article from the point of view of a Mexican-American mom who forgot her Spanish and why she doesn’t want the same for her children.

School district’s Spanish spelling bee promotes language skills from The Santa Fe New Mexican — This is a great way to encourage bilingual students to continue to strengthen their skills in Spanish.

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 would tell you about wanting to grow up bilingual. Genius!

My Mother’s Tongue from Journal of a bilingual family — What happens when parents decide not to pass their mother tongue to their children? It happens all the time and, in this country, is the reason why heritage languages are lost by the third generation. A bilingual mom raising bilingual kids explores this topic in honor of Mother Tongue Day.

Planned Bilingualism: Five Questions to Consider by François Grosjean from Psychology Today — Another useful article from Prof. Grosjean perfect for those just about to embark in the journey of raising a bilingual child.

Surge in immersion programs spreads from the Star Tribune — In Minnesota, the number of dual language immersion programs has doubled since 2006 with a total of 85 at the elementary and middle school level, with some programs even in high school. Reading stories like this one is like music to my ears!

Stolz, Amerikaner zu sein (Proud to be an American) from The Economist — For all those who ask why Latinos can’t be like all other immigrant groups and just learn English and forget about Spanish, this is a MUST READ! The description of how how Germans used to live in small-town America decades ago, sounds eerily familiar to how Latinos live in not so small-town America today.

Speak Spanglish, Baby from Vida de Latinos — Check out the interview about bilingualism, SpanglishBaby and blogging, Ana did for this very cool website for and about Latinos in Singapore.