Bilingual in America

Today on Bilingual in America , we are speaking with presenters Juliana Shoumbert and Emilio Rio Jiminez of the Bilingual for Vida Bilingue Conference offered by Global Vida , an organization dedicated to educational excellence. Global Vida is hosting a virtual educational conference on Feb 5 and 6th, with keynote speakers, Dr. Stephen Krashen and Dr. Kathy Escamilla , and offering a full menu of...

Today we are speaking with the co-founders of Global Vida, an organization dedicated to educational excellence for ESL, Bilingual, Dual Language and LOTE educators, students, and families. Global Vida is hosting a virtual educational conference on Feb 5 and 6th, with keynote speakers Dr. Stephen Krashen and Dr. Kathy Escamilla, and offering a full menu of training and workshops. Listen in to hear...

The first 1,000 days have been said to be crucial in the language constructs that are put into place for children. The truth is, the days beyond the first 1,000 are as equally important. Today we will hear from two educational experts about the added value of an investment in language development in a balanced and intentional way. #speakyourbeauty, #1000daystobeauty. Take a listen...

Music is powerful. With just a few short notes, it can shift your mood and emotions. Throughout this pandemic, we have used music to show support to essential workers, tap into needed energy, and even provide comfort in our darkest moments. You might be wondering what does music have to do with being bilingual…keep listening to find out. You will hear from four of our guests about the shared langu...

There is a familiar conversation that children of interracial marriages have the advantage of experiencing two or more cultures, and with that sometimes a second language. Often, those children are not only bilingual but also enjoy cognitive advantages from growing up within more than one culture, becoming more open minded individuals and better communicators. But is this always true? Listen in to...

It almost goes without saying that learning your partner’s language is a deposit in creating a lasting relationship. While inter-linguistic fluency is certainly not necessary for bilingual relationships to flourish, the act of learning a language for love is an investment – one that demonstrates a commitment and a desire to meet each other halfway. But, as you will hear, language is just a piece o...

Children are like sponges and can absorb foreign languages so quickly. We've all heard these types of statements, and society is flooded with messages telling you who is and who isn’t good at language learning.  If you ask any random person who – in their opinion - excels at language learning, they would probably say children do.  This position is seldom challenged. So it must be true th...

Aside from the unique set of circumstances in which Gen Z is approaching adulthood, what do we know about this new generation?   We know it’s different from previous generations in some important ways but similar in many ways to the Millennial generation that came before it. Members of Gen Z are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation, and they are on track to be the...

In this segment of Bilingual in America, we explore the challenges, rewards, and impacts of navigating community remote learning. What has been the impact on our children's learning? What has been the impact on our teachers and educators? How has remote learning shifted the role of parental support? We are aware of the challenges. What have been the rewards? How do we find the proverbial silver li...

We have spoken about bilingualism with speakers of Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese. Last week we discussed identity as it relates to the Afro-LatinX community. Today we explore a debate that swings back and forth like a pendulum every few years. AAVE(African American Vernacular English) is also known as Black English or Ebonics. Is it a language and, if yes, do its speakers - typically African Ameri...

There’s no doubt that the intersection between Black and LatinX identity runs deep, and yet the Afro-LatinX experience remains mostly unacknowledged in mainstream media. So let’s look at it… What makes being AfroLatinX beautiful? Challenging? Unique? How do microaggressions impact one's sense of identity? How is bilingualism embraced? Today, we’ll begin to explore this con...

With all of the research out there, there is still so much to learn about how the brain functions, grows, and evolves. All experiences leave their mark—they change how we respond to similar situations,  and create knowledge or expertise in particular areas. In the vast majority of cases, individuals become bilingual through life circumstances and schooling experiences. How the brain acqu...

Our adventure in presenting Bilingual in America has been extraordinary- everything we ever expected that it would be. It's been exactly as complex and as easy; and as challenging and rewarding. We look forward to sharing more of your stories. In this episode, let us tell you why...

Over the past several months, how we teach and how we learn has been flipped upside down. Teachers are incorporating new tools into their lessons and students are experiencing new methods of learning. Now, more than ever, it is important for educators to find ways to stay connected to students while keeping them engaged and motivated in the digital world.

Today’s children are faced with a myriad of challenges and opportunities. Navigating all of that can be daunting - and so partnerships and supports are necessary to prepare our bilingual children for tomorrow.  In this segment, we’ll hear experiences that embody the importance of being a team member of the village that commits to the bilingual success of children and families. It takes a bili...

During this segment you will hear from two women who share their challenges and strategies related to balancing traditions from their native homeland as they grow into new parts of their identity as a result of their immigration. 

In this episode, we explore the many ways in which we can guard and grow your native language. We speak with parent Yurika Golin and advocate and educator Nancy Cloud in this, our second segment of Bilingual in America.

The mission of Bilingual In America is to celebrate the strength, beauty, and joy of being bilingual. Bilingual In America is an experiential podcast - one that is informative and moving. In this episode, we ask "what are the challenges and what is beautiful about being bilingual in America?"