It’s been a while since we’ve featured any case studies in our Real Stories, Real Lives section of this blog, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been interviewing lots of interesting bilingual families or individuals. While we were working on the Spanish edition of Barbara Zurer Pearson’s book on raising bilingual children, Consigue que tu hijo sea bilingüe, we interviewed numerous families about their particular experiences. Extracts of some of these interviews were included in the book, but we thought we’d share a more detailed version with our readers here. To kick things off, we’re going to begin with an interview with the story of Isabel Gay.

Isabel was raised by her English/Spanish parents both in England and Spain. Many of our previous stories have been focussed on parents who are doing everything they can to help their children grow up bilingual. This time we asked a childhood bilingual who is now all grown up about how it felt to be raised bilingually.

Tell us a bit about what it was like to grow up in a bilingual home.

-I became bilingual without realizing it, very naturally. My mother is Spanish and my father is English. We lived in England and each of them spoke to me in one language. I don’t think they thought of this as a specific strategy, but rather they each spoke to me in the language they felt most natural in. I understood Spanish perfectly and although I spoke Spanish with an English accent when I was younger (3-4 years old), my accent began to disappear with time and practice. When I visited my grandparents in Spain every summer I would come back speaking Spanish perfectly, which over time made me see just how fundamental constant contact with both languages is. When I was nine my parents moved to Spain and continued using the same method, each spoke to us in his or her language and mixing languages between them. Sometimes my mother spoke Spanish and my father answered her in English…there was always a lot of mixing.

Did you always enjoy speaking both your languages or did it ever make you feel strange or different?

-Both in England and in Spain, I was different either way. Not in a bad way that made me feel marginalized, but special. I knew that when I spoke Spanish to my mother in front of others no one understood me, and I liked speaking to my father in English in Spain because everyone looked at me strangely. I understood others’ conversations when they spoke about me in English (I don’t look particularly English), which was really fun for me since I would answer them in English and embarrass them! At school people asked me questions or asked me to say something in the other language. This was typical for people who didn’t know much about the rest of the world, but it didn’t bother me. My brother, who is four years younger than me, was more embarrassed by this and he tried to speak with less of an English accent so as to not draw attention to himself. That’s why his English has not evolved as much as mine has, since he became more and more embarrassed as he began to lose his English and tried to avoid speaking it. In our experience, the personality of each person had a great influence on maintaining our bilingualism. In any case, my brother still understands English perfectly although he speaks it less, though he’s not as bilingual as I am.

Other than just speaking both languages at home, what kinds of things did your parents do to help you maintain your languages?

-The most useful thing my parents did was to keep both the English language AND the culture alive in my house. Although we lived in Spain, there was always turkey, Yorkshire puddings or cauliflower cheese at our Christmas celebrations. We had Christmas crackers and Santa Claus when others celebrated Reyes. We had beans on toast for breakfast and we love marmite! They kept the English customs from being lost without us realizing that it was so far ingrained in us, which helped us to accept the language more naturally and make it more a part of our customs and our family. Every summer my parents sent me to see my aunts and uncles in England for at least two weeks. I thought of it as a vacation with my cousins, but it was also a great way to recycle and practice my English. When I was ready for university, my parents gave the option of studying in the UK and I accepted!

Do you think your parents should have done anything differently?

-I don’t know if my parents could’ve done anything different because I really did have a lot of contact with both cultures. In my brother’s case, for example, they could have forced him to travel more since he didn’t like going to England as much as I did. I think it would’ve been good for him and his confidence in English. They showed us videos of cartoons in English and we listened to tapes of stories in the car. Given the technological resources available at the time, I think they did a good job. Very natural and no pressure. My father gave me English exercises and we placed word association games, he asked me to look up words I didn’t know in the dictionary…but it never felt like an obligation and little by little I was the one who wanted to learn more.

Based on your experience, would you choose to raise your own children in a bilingual home?

-If I have kids I am sure I want them to grow up like I did. I’ve always thought that my bilingualism is the most precious gift my parents gave me, since it has made my life much easier. It helps me to relate to others, to stand out and to find jobs more easily. It didn’t matter where I went, I was one of the few people who could communicate easily because there was always someone who spoke English or Spanish! I think that today there are lots more resources to keep children from losing their languages. In addition to the bilingual or even trilingual schools, now you can watch tv programs in their original version, you can show foreign videos in the car on trips, there are more opportunities to study abroad, a wider variety of bilingual books and more opportunities to buy books in other languages. I know mixed couples who have children and don’t see the importance of speaking to their children in their language from the time they’re born. They think the children will learn when they’re older, but they don’t realize that the sooner their children begin to hear the sounds of their language and speak in that language, the easier it will be. When children are older, they become embarrassed or rebellious and it’s much harder to change their behaviour.

image credit: reading in the flowers, via flickr

As you may know, we at Bilingual Readers enjoy getting to know bilingual families from all over the world and hearing about their experiences. We started the “Real Stories, Real Lives” segment of our blog to create a space where families can share the ups and downs of life in a bilingual home. Today we’re so excited to hear from Kate, an American mother of three living in Madrid, about her struggles and triumphs. Kate also just finished her degree in education (to teach English at a primary school) so her perspective on the bilingual school system in Madrid is especially interesting. We hope you’ll enjoy her story as much as we did!

Tell us a bit about your bilingual family.
I’m American, and my husband is Spanish. I’ve been here eleven years now. We have three sons, ages 7, 5, and the youngest will be 2 in February. My husband and I usually speak Spanish to each other. The older two boys are bilingual, and the youngest hardly speaks at all yet but is very proficient in non-verbal communication!

Why did you decide to raise your children in two languages?
It seemed like the only thing to do, since we wanted them to be able to communicate with both sides of the family and participate in both cultures.

Did you sit down and make a plan as to who would speak in what language to your children or did it just come naturally?
Before having children, I looked into the topic and found the OPOL, One Parent One Language method, which seemed to make the most sense. We each speak to the kids in our native language.

Did you follow through with your plan or did you end up having to adapt it according to the needs of your family?
We have pretty much followed the plan.

How has speaking two languages affected your family dynamics?
Well, I am fluent in Spanish and my husband knows English, so we’ve never had the issue of not understanding what the other is saying to the kids. My in-laws are used to the fact that I speak English to the kids even in front of them, and they think it’s a great advantage that the kids are bilingual. (as do my parents.) Right now I can’t think of anything in particular that has been a problem or challenge in this respect.

What language do your children prefer when they communicate with one another? How has your oldest son’s role as a big brother affected your younger children’s language development?
This is an interesting question. They use both langauges with each other, depending on the circumstances. I usually hear them speaking in English, but I think that when they are with their father they are more likely to use Spanish with each other. But it’s quite fluid and they can switch back and forth whenever the fancy strikes. As for the influence of my oldest, well, they are only two years apart and the middle son is more verbal in general, so I think the influence goes both ways. When the middle son was learning to talk they were mostly around me, and I also encouraged the older one to use English with his brother, so maybe starting off that way set the general tone. But now, as I said, they switch back and forth.

What role does reading play in your household? How often do you read to your children and in which language(s)?
We read a lot, and have books everywhere. Most of our children’s books are in English, but we do have some in Spanish also. I only read to the kids in English– if it’s a book in Spanish I’ll translate as I go along, though I prefer to read books in the original language. My husband will sometimes read them a book in English. He’s the one who has worked with the kids on learning to read (the 5 year old is right in the middle of this and has to practice reading aloud every day.) Even though the oldest can read to himself now, I still try to read to them every day. Right now we are working our way through the Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osborne, and the Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbot. For me, reading to them has been a way for me to share the books I loved when I was growing up, and to help give them a window into American culture since they are living in Spain. They also retain and use words and expressions they hear in the books, which surprised me at first (they do this with TV and DVDs too.)

How did you approach teaching your oldest son to read? Did you focus on one language or try to teach him to read in both languages simultaneously?
We started by doing the typical pre-literacy activties (talking about sounds in words, rhyme, noticing letters, etc.) whenever the opportunity arose in books or on signs or whatever. We did this naturally, starting when he was a baby, and only as a game, not consciously teaching. When he was five and learning to read (Spanish) at school, he was working really hard at that so we didn’t push the English. We figured that having the skill of reading in Spanish would make it easier to apply the same skills to English. And, we were right– once he started reading well in Spanish, he automatically transferred those skills and started reading in English at about the same time. I think part of this success was due to having a strong foundation in both the idea of decoding letter sounds (he also watched videos of Sesame Street, Between the Lions, played Super Why games on the computer, etc.) and also a strong vocabulary base in English, from all of the reading to him we did (and of course, videos and DVDs in English as well.) Since he already knew so many words in English, it was easier for him to recognize them, even when the spelling didn’t quite match up with the sounds.

I see that your children go to one of the public bilingual schools in Madrid. Has this been a positive experience for them?
Actually they go to a “concertado” bilingual school, but it has been working out well. Since they are already bilingual, I can’t say that they are learning much English that they didn’t already know, but they are getting much more input in English. The five-year old has half the day in English, and the second grader has English class and Science and Art in English. In Science, they are getting to read a fair amount of text in English as well as learning the content in English. This is a great advantage for a bilingual kid.

I just finished my education degree here in Spain (teaching English in Primary school) and I taught in a public bilingual school, and it was a very well-run program. To participate, the teachers have to have a very good level of English, and I was impressed with the program overall. The one drawback is that if there is a student who is already struggling, having to learn the subject matter in English (they do Science and Art in English there too) can be an added hurdle. If parents want their child to attend a bilingual school, they need to commit to being involved and aware of how the child is doing, and may need to arrange for extra tutoring in English to make sure the student doesn’t fall behind.

Any advice for families who are planning to raise their kids bilingually?

Well, I think it’s really helpful to be able to trade experiences and compare notes with other bilingual families. I have done this through an online group, and it is great to be able to get suggestions or encouragement from others in a similar situation. It’s also a good idea to learn about the different methods and decide which one best fits your family, and plan ahead for potential roadblocks. And most of all, keep going– not only does being bilingual give your child a great advantage, but it also helps them to feel connected to both sides of their heritage.

Do you want to share your story with us? Send us an e-mail to info@bilingualreaders.com and we’ll get back to you!

image credit: reading time, via flickr

Those of you who are regular readers of our blog know that we like to interview bilingual families to showcase their trials and triumphs because we believe we can all learn from one another. As bilingual publishers we get the chance to meet lots of interesting people, and we often feel the need to share their insight and stories with others who may be going through the same thing. So when I read a blog post by writer Jeannette Cook at ceci n’est pas un cuisine about how her nine year old daughter finally became enthusiastic about reading in English, I knew I wanted to hear more about this bilingual family.

I was especially touched by the following lines from Jeannette’s post, “But I have to say that with raising kids bilingually, especially when they are schooled in a language that is not yours, the pride you feel in their ability is tempered by a bittersweet feeling that they are missing out on something you enjoyed, and hoped they would one day share. I’m talking, I suppose, mainly about books, and reading in English. And specifically, reading children’s books in English…I get a pang in my heart when I see Clover’s older sister reading French translations of childhood classics. But of course she reads faster and better in French, and I’m glad she likes reading, so I won’t force the originals on her…But I wonder, did she not love Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books because she tried them in translation? I want her to love (eventually) the great wealth that is Anglo literature — Dickens and Austen and Catcher in the Rye; I want her to go through a Hemingway phase, and an E. E. Cummings one, and even (should they still be in print) a Judy Blume one.”

I’m sure many bilingual families have experienced similiar sentiments about their children missing out on part of their language and culture. I left a comment on her blog and Jeannette was kind enough to get back to me and answer a few questions about her bilingual readers.

Jeannette’s story in her own words:

In our own home, I’m American and my ex-husband, my girls’ father, is British (English).  So our home language is two sorts of English.   Our girls are being raised bilingually however because we decided to send them to local Belgian schools.  As we live in French-speaking Brussels, they have been immersed in French.

Brussels is a marvelous place if you are interested in the dynamics of bilingualism, or multi-lingualism.  Because of the European institutions, people from all over Europe come here, resulting in all sorts of variations on the bilingual theme:  mother and father with two different languages; mother and father with same language but the language of the place where they are living is different; mother and father with two different languages PLUS the language of the place is different.  This is in addition to the language friction which exists between the French and Flemish speaking parts of Belgium.  Brussels is officially bilingual, but the two languages divide themselves not only geographically, but socio-economically. There’s a lot of language going on here!

My own level of French is fair, though far from fluent.  I used to read to the girls mostly in English when they were very small — say, pre-school age — but once they were about 6 or 7 I didn’t push the English because I wanted them to be very solid with reading and writing in French, because that is the language they are schooled in.

I have no doubt that my oldest daughter (12) finds it easier to read in French at the moment and that is why she tends to read more in that language.  That being said, she has discovered that many books she likes have been translated from English and that she can get the latest in her favorite series faster if she gets it in English. So she’s motivated now to be able to do both with similar ease.  Because of the interest my youngest daughter (9) has shown in reading, and the positive reinforcement she gets from being able to read beginner’s books, I will keep encouraging her to read to me now.

Another thing about why my eldest leans towards reading French: her peer group is reading in that language.  If she wants to exchange books or talk about books with her friends, it’s going to be French language books, not English ones.

In general, reading is a big feature in our lives… books everywhere in the house, Amazon orders, hanging out in bookstores… It would have been hard for them not to be interested, one way or another.

Thanks so much to Jeannette for sharing her story with us, and we wish you the best of luck!

Jaime, (baby) Claudia and Sofía

As you may know, we at Bilingual Readers enjoy sitting down with bilingual families from all over the world to hear about their experiences. We started the “Real Stories, Real Lives” segment of our blog to create a space where families can share the ups and downs of life in a bilingual home. Sofia, Jaime and Claudia are the latest addition to our community, so we hope you enjoy their story as much as we did!

Tell us a bit about your bilingual family.
Our family is made up of a Spanish father named Jaime, a Portuguese mother named Sofia and a precious little Spanish girl named Claudia.

Why did you decide to raise Claudia in two languages?
Before Claudia was born we were already sure we wanted to speak to her in both languages. We thought it was very important and positive for her to be able to speak both languages.

Did you sit down and make a plan as to who would speak in what language to your daughter or did it just come naturally?
It has always seemed very natural. Mama speaks Portuguese and Papa speaks Spanish. Claudia speaks more Portuguese at this point since she spends more time with her mom, but she understands both languages.

How has speaking two languages affected your family dynamics? How do you think this could change as Claudia grows older?
I speak my first language more, but nothing has changed, we’re still the same family. The fact that I speak more Portuguese is actually helping Jaime because now he understands Portuguese better. We believe Claudia will have more opportunities in the future. Because she is learning two languages from such a young age, learning a third will be much easier for her.

Have you experienced any negative comments about you speaking to Claudia in Portuguese?
Yes, people have told us that she is too young to understand and this will make it harder for her to learn to speak in either language. Typical myths.

What role does reading play in your household? How often do you and Jaime read to Claudia and in which language(s)?
Almost all of the books we have at home are in Spanish, but I translate them so that I can read to her in Portuguese. We try to read to her every day or at least expose her to books so that she can see the illustrations.

Any interesting anecdotes about Claudia’s bilingual upbringing?
When Claudia wants more cookies and it’s almost time to eat, we always tell her “más no.” After hearing this so many times, she began to associate them with cookies, so now when she wants cookies she says “más no.”

Any advice for families who are planning to raise their kids bilingually? I would tell them to speak both languages at home and not listen to people’s negative comments because children can learn both languages naturally.

Do you want to share your story with us? Send us an e-mail to info@bilingualreaders.com and we’ll get back to you!

As you may know, we at Bilingual Readers enjoy sitting down with bilingual families to hear about their experiences.  We can all learn from one another, so we hope you’ll enjoy our chat with  Rosie (British), Íñigo (Spanish) and their twelve year old bilingual daughter Clara. In our Real Stories, Real Lives section we generally translate all responses into both languages, but we loved these oh so bilingual responses so much that we decided to leave the text exactly like they wrote it.  Since we realize that some of our readers may not be fluent in Spanish, we’ve also included an English translation of the Spanish text in parentheses. We hope you’ll enjoy the experiences of this family of madrileños as much as we did!

Questions for Rosie and Íñigo

Why did you decide to raise Clara in two languages?
Rosie: It seemed sensible to bring Clara up with the two languages, since we are both native speakers. We thought she would pick up both languages effortlessly in this way and save herself time and trouble in the future. Also it seemed logical as she was going to have to communicate with relatives in both countries.
Íñigo: Lo mismo digo. [I agree].

Did you have a plan as to who would speak in what language before Clara was born?
Rosie: Before Clara was born, we decided that we would each speak to her in our own language.
Íñigo: Esto parece lo lógico y además lo recomendado por quienes dicen saber algo del tema. [This seemed logical and it was also what we were recommended by people who knew about this subject.]

Did you follow through with your plan or did you end up having to adapt it according to the needs of your family?
Rosie: We did change the plan because when she was about 14-15 months old and started to speak, it seemed that she was going to speak more Spanish than English. Also, she was in a Spanish environment, with a Spanish nanny, living in Spain, with Spanish friends, etc., so we decided that both of us would speak to her in English. We did that until it was obvious that Clara had acquired a very firm basis of English. Now we all speak Spanglish together.
Íñigo: That’s right.

Did your speaking to Clara in English affect your relationship? How?
Rosie: It wasn’t really a problem. Íñigo’s English is excellent, so I don’t think he ever felt at a disadvantage.
Íñigo: Hablar a Clara en inglés no fue un problema, aunque es cierto que es más difícil expresar emociones y sentimientos (positivos o negativos) en otro idioma distinto del materno propio. Por ejemplo, las nanas, en español; el mal humor, también (aunque reconozco que para reñir a Clara procuraba hacerlo en inglés, para no transmitir que el idioma “negativo” era el español). [Speaking to Clara in English was no problem, though it's true that it was a bit more difficult to express emotions and feelings (positive or negative) in a language that wasn't my first language. For example, lullabies in Spanish, when I was in a bad mood too (although I recognize that I did try to scold Clara in English so I wouldn't make her think Spanish was a "negative language.")]

Did Clara learn English effortlessly or did she put up a fight?
Rosie: Clara learnt English effortlessly. She was very quick to pick up both languages and I think she forged herself a personality in English. English was probably her stronger language until she was about 6-7 years old.

What role does reading play in your household? Did you read to Clara often when she was younger? How often and in which language(s)?
Rosie: My mother read to me a lot when I was a child (until I was about 9-10 years old and I started reading avidly myself). I have very fond memories of the books (mainly classics) that she read to me. I am still a keen reader and always have a book “on the go”. Even in today’s computer dominated world, I believe that books and reading are the source of most knowledge and that reading skills are a key to your future: comprehension, vocabulary, ability to express yourself… . I started reading to Clara, on a daily basis, when she was only a few months old. By the time she was about 15-18 months old, it was obvious that she had been assimilating all that I had been reading to her. I continued to read to her (in English) on a daily basis until she was about 10. We have read lots of the children’s classics and I have really enjoyed revisiting them with her. I occasionally read her into a new book still, but she always takes over after the first couple of chapters and finishes it off herself. She is a great reader herself now.
Íñigo: A mí no me leyeron tanto, supongo que cinco hijos no dejaban mucho tiempo para leer. Yo no soy tan lector. Salvo excepciones, toda la tarea de lectura a Clara la ha llevado Rosie. Además creo que tiene sentido que al niño se le lea más en el idioma al que no está tan expuesto. Una vez Clara aprendió a leer, todos los estímulos eran en español, así que parecía lógico reforzar la lectura en inglés. [My parents didn't read to me very often. I suppose five kids didn't allow for much time to read. I am not a big reader. With a few exceptions, Rosie has always been in charge of reading to Clara. I also think it makes sense for a child to be read to in the language she is less exposed to. Once Clara learned to read, all of her stimuli were in Spanish, so it seemed logical to reinforce her reading in English. ]

Any interesting anecdotes about Clara’s bilingual upbringing?
Rosie: I can’t think of any anecdotes, although she has come up with lots of priceless remarks, which we have incorporated into our family history, as all families do. Clara from being a tiny tot was able to change her “chip” and speak in English or Spanish as the situation demanded. One of her first words in English was “scissors”, we don’t know why!
Íñigo: Yo sí me acuerdo de una: aunque Clara hablaba en los dos idiomas y conocía muchas palabra en ambos, ciertas cosas las identificaba mejor en uno de ellos. Así, una de las primeras adivinanzas que aprendió es la de “oro parece, plata-no es, ¿qué es?” Respuesta de Clara: “banana”. [I remember one: although Clara spoke and knew lots of words in both languages, she identified certain items better in one language than in the other. So one of the first riddles she learned was "oro parece, plata-no es, ¿qué es? Clara's response: "banana."]

Any advice for families who are planning to raise their kids bilingually?
Rosie: I must admit that I have never read any literature on the subject. We just did what we thought best. For me it would not have been natural to speak to Clara in Spanish. If the child grows up in Spain, it is likely that he/she will learn Spanish, so maybe give more emphasis to English, although the circumstances of each family are obviously different.
Íñigo: Ya lo he dicho antes (pregunta 2): parece lo lógico y lo recomendado. A veces vemos padres de distintas nacionalidades que hablan a sus hijos sólo en un idioma, los hijos pierden una lengua, seguramente la entienden pero no la hablan, ¡una pena! Y si una de esas dos lenguas es el inglés, hay que tener en cuenta el dineral que te ahorras en clases particulares y veranos en Irlanda. [As I said before in question 2, it seems to be the most logical and recommendable method. Sometimes parents of different nationalities only speak to their children in one language, the children lose a language. They probably understand it, but they don't speak it and it's such a shame! If one of those languages is Enlgish, you also have to think about all the money you'll save on private classes and summers in Ireland.]

Questions for Clara:

Do you like speaking two languages?
Yes, I think it is a big advantage.

Do you feel more comfortable in English or in Spanish, or
Both, although sometimes in English I can’t find the words I need.

Do you like to read? What kinds of books do you like and what language do you prefer to read in?
I love reading and I like all sorts of books. Ones I have enjoyed recently have been : Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, all the James Herriot stories, Ghostgirl …I think I prefer to read in English but not for any reason, just that I have always read in English (although it is perfectly alright to read in Spanish).

Do you want to share your story with us? Send us an e-mail to info@bilingualreaders.com and we’ll get back to you!

Joy and her kids

Thirty two year old Joy Pulsifer has been running Hogar Amiguitos, a children’s home in Jinotega, Nicaragua for the last four years. This amazing mom to 17 (that’s right, 17!) children, took some time out of her ridiculously hectic schedule to talk to Bilingual Readers about her unusual bilingual home.

BR: How did you end up running Hogar Amiguitos? How many people work with you full time?

Joy: I came down to teach English for a year. When the director at that time left, I was given the job.  That was four years ago. I currently have 9 full time staff members.  Only one other volunteer and I are here 24/7.

BR:  How many children live at Hogar Amiguitos? How old are they, and what kind of backgrounds do they come from?

Joy: There are 17 children living here. They range from age 6 to 17, and most of them have been placed here because of severe abuse ranging from simple beatings to attempted murder.

BR: Walk us through an average day at Hogar Amiguitos.

Joy: The children get up at 6am, get dressed and clean their rooms. Devotions at 6:30 am. Breakfast is at 7am. The high school students have to be at school at 7:30 am. Fortunately, the high school is only a five minute walk from our home.  The elementary students have private tutoring in the mornings from 8am to 10am.  After this they shower and get dressed for school. Lunch for them is at 11:30 am, then we leave for school at 12 noon.  They have school from 12:30 until 5 pm.  The high school students return at 12:30 and have lunch at 1pm.  They have private tutoring from 2pm until 5pm.  The elementary students return around 5:30 pm.  Supper is at 6pm.  After supper is free time.  Bedtime for the younger children is 8pm and for the teenagers around 9pm.  This is also when the adults go to bed since by that time we are completely exhausted!

BR: Why do you think it’s important for the kids to learn languages other than Spanish?

Joy: Speaking more than one language is essential for success in this global economy.  Tourism is a large industry here in Nicaragua, and the best jobs in this area go to those who are bilingual.  Truthfully, most of the best paying jobs in all industries here go to bilingual workers.

BR: What steps are you taking to help your children learn other languages?

Joy: The children here have German lessons and English lessons several times a week.  Also, we frequently speak to them in English so they are accustomed to hearing both languages.

BR: Any funny stories about the kids learning English with you?

Joy: I was teaching a lesson about household items.  We learned “bed”, “blanket” and “pillow”, but when we arrived at “sheet” we had a problem with pronunciation.  The entire class was yelling an obscenity. No matter how hard I tried to correct them, they just couldn’t get the difference between the two words.  Finally, I just moved on to chair.

BR: You are a mother to so many children. Any advice for all the parents out there?

Joy: Reading is such a wonderful way of stimulating the mind.  My children love reading and being read to.  I always include a book as one of their birthday presents and encourage anyone coming to bring books for the children especially book that are in both English and Spanish.

BR: Some of our readers may be interested in supporting Hogar Amiguitos. What are your most pressing needs right now?

Joy: We are currently in the process of installing the second largest solar energy system in Nicaragua (you can read more about the project here).  When it is completed it will be the first sell back system in the country.  This means that we will be feeding energy into the grid, likely more than we use.  We will not get paid for the extra energy, but we don’t mind since it will basically lower our electric bill to $0, while helping to provide clean effecient energy to the country.  We are currently waiting for the local power company to install a bi-directional meter, the only one in the country, so we can start operating the system at full capacity.  We are also in the process of raising funds for two solar hot water heaters one for the boys and the other for the girls bathroom.  This will further lower our energy use.  If you are interested in supporting this project or sponsoring a child at Hogar Amiguitos, please send us an email to info@bilingualreaders.com or contact Joy directly at joyepulsifer@aim.com.

Everyone has a story to tell, and we’d love to hear yours! If you’re interested in being interviewed for our Real Stories, Real Lives section please send us an email at info@bilingualreaders.com.