Below you can find a list of podcast episodes for parents raising bilingual kids in Spanish and English on a range of helpful topics.
Whether you are looking for general information on raising bilingual kids, tips for home schooling a bilingual child, information on language confusion or tips to improve your child’s Spanish, there should be some helpful podcast episodes below that will spark your interest.
Podcasts Episodes for Raising Bilingual Kids in Spanish
During the last few years, the amount of information for families raising bilingual children on podcasts has exploded. There are so many different personal views shared on social media, that one can feel lost.
Offering a list of podcasts for you to listen to could be like offering a long menu of episodes, as if they were meals at a restaurant, and you would probably need to take the risk and try each one before you can tell which one is really useful or not.
Now, add to that the fact that raising bilingual kids in Spanish also means raising kids with a language that faces challenges such as regional variations and social perceptions, if not prejudges, in countries like the U.S.
We have put together some episodes from different Podcasts that I find are helpful for parents in specific situations. These podcast episodes are on topics specifically related to raising bilingual kids in Spanish.
While I recommend these specific episodes, I don’t necessarily share the views of the authors of these podcasts in other matters or content related with bilingualism.
Also these episodes might mention or promote products and services I am not associated with.
So, keep in mind that the focus here is to offer you specific information which is easy to digest in regards to raising bilingual kids in Spanish, and it is up to you to explore further these and additional options available.
1. Defining important terms by The Bilingual Parenting Podcast (21 min – English)
Kaila Diaz, is a linguist and language educator from Virginia that offers in this episode a great explanation of basic terms related with bilingualism.
This is important for families starting this journey to better understand other informative documents and resources about bilingualism, and also understand the realities in their own household.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Balanced bilingualism
- Simultaneous and Sequential bilingualism
- Biliteracy
- Code switching
Recommended articles related with these topics:
Balanced Bilingualism
Biliteracy
Code-Switching
2. Is my child confused? by Bilingual Avenue (10 min – English)
Marianna Du Bosq is a native Spanish speaker from Venezuela raising bilingual children in the U.S. She is a bilingual educator and multilingual parent that offers tips and helpful ideas as she also answers to questions from parents rising bilingual kids.
Her episodes also include interviews with experts and educators, among others.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Tips to approach different scenarios and overcome myths
- Borrowing words
- Code switching
Recommended articles related with this topic:
Bilingual Kids Do Not get Confused
3. Why Your Bilingual Child Does Not Respond Back In Minority Language by Bilingual Kids Rock Podcast (26 min – English)
Olena Centeno is a Ukrainian mom raising three trilingual children in the U.S. She shares on her podcast her experiences, tips and resources to support the journey of parents raising multilingual children.
She interviews experts, other seasoned bloggers and professionals on this matter.
In this particular episode is a pleasant and easy conversations between Olena and her husband sharing their insights about some of the reasons kids might not respond in the target language.
Their accent is clear and the speed of the conversation easy to follow…it is also nice to hear a couple discussing these topics in a field that seems to be led mostly by women.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Common reasons for children not to use the target language
- Ideas to encourage children to use it
- The importance of reading in the target language
- Tips for consistency and accountability
- Encouragement
Recommended articles related with this topic:
Why your child does not respond back in your language
4. What NOT to do when raising a bilingual child by Bilingual Avenue (15 min – English)
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Bribes
- Rewards
- Positive reinforcement
- Expectations
Recommended articles related with this topic:
What not to say when raising bilingual kids
5. A conversation with Parenting Expert Maritere Bellas by Entre Dos Podcast (15 min – English)
Monika Leal and Paula Niño Kehr, co-hosts this podcast. They are two native Spanish speakers raising bilingual daughters.
In every episode they tell stories of bilingual families, have conversations with experts, talk about important research and offer resources aiming to inspire and help families raising bilingual children.
In this episode their guest, award-winning author Maritere Bellas, shares how she managed to raise her two, (now adult), bilingual-multicultural children.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Finding balance between cultures
- Challenges raising bilinguals on a multicultural environment
- Raising bilingual teens
Recommended articles related with this topic:
Multilingual Family Stories
6. Uso del bilingüismo en la calle by Mamás 411 Podcast (24 min – Español)
This is a podacast completly in Spanish hosted by three latina moms that are raising bilingual children. Maritere Bellas, Puerto Rican; Minerva Ortega, Mexican; and Erica Mirochnik, Argentinan share their experiences raising bilingual and multicultural kids (from ages 6 to 26 years old).
This is while having friendly conversations with other women guests from different backgrounds and expertise, that share their insights on different topics related to raising bilingual children.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Tips on how to use the minority language outside home
- Challenges and flexibility while using the minority language in social situations
- Taking in account your kid’s developmental needs
7. Music and Bilingualism by Entredos Podcast (Interview with specialist) (20 min – English)
Some of the topics in this episode:
- The power of music to support bilingualism
- Emotional transfer factor of music
- Building connections with language using music
- Importance of movement and fun to make language learning memorable
Recommended articles related with this topic:
Spanish Songs for Kids (That aren´t nursery rhymes)
Using music to teach your child a language
8. What kind of Spanish do you speak? by Entre Dos Podcast (25min – English)
Some of the topics in this episode:
- Spanish varieties
- The U.S. as a Spanish speaking country
- Speaking Spanish in the U.S. from the perspective of a non-native Spanish speaker
9. Mamá soltera criando niños bilingües by Mamas411 Podcast (20 min – Español)
Some of the topics in this episode:
- What to take in account before and during divorce to ensure exposure to the language and keep encouraging children bilingualism
10. Teaching Bilingual Children + Homeschooling Tips by Read Conmigo (42 minutes – English)
This podcast is part of the program Read conmigo that encourages parents to read to their children in English and Spanish by providing free bilingual children’s books, educational apps, and literacy resources for children in preschool through fifth grade.
It is sponsored by an insurance company, so be aware of ads. This episode also promotes a lot the guest’s products and blog, but also offers a valuable point of view for parents interested on homeschooling their bilingual kids.
Some of the topics in this episode:
- What to take in account to know if homeschool is the right choice for your family
- Challenges
- Tips to succeed
- Where to find resources
Raising Bilingual Kids in Spanish
I hope you find these podcast episodes helpful and they inspire you to keep learning as much as you can about how to raise bilingual kids in Spanish.
Remember that every family is different and that there are many ways to raise a bilingual child, the most important thing it is to be consistent but flexible enough to always be emphatic and compassionate with yourself and your child.
Author: Ana Calabrese is a native Spanish speaker raising bilingual-bicultural kids in the U.S. She promotes bilingualism and the Spanish language with children, through the use of songs, movement and fun. Find Ana’s original songs for Spanish learners on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play.
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