Speaking with Claudia last week brought back many memories of my bicultural journey. At 13, she came to the US from Colombia, kicking and screaming and vowing not to marry an American (which she did!).
I came to California at 21 bound and determined to finish my degree and go right back home to Puerto Rico. But, I ended up falling in love, marrying a Greek-American man, and staying in California, permanently. Also, kicking and screaming! One never knows how things will unfold yet somehow, we all end up where we’re supposed to be. Right?
From being interested in pursuing a career in medicine, Claudia ended up with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Disorders and Spanish Linguistics, and a Master of Science in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist. Today, she works with parents who are raising bilingual children and through her platform, Laleo Therapy, she offers resources, tools, community, and support to parents and professionals in the area of bilingualism. Laleo’s mission is to provide culturally and linguistically services for bilingual children.
Laleo Therapy offers services in many areas including, Pedriatics/Speech-Language Therapy, and Differential Diagnostics, which offers speech-language evaluations that determined possible factors for language delays. It also offers services for Accent Modification, which stresses that accents should be celebrated, Professional Development, Consultations for SLPs, and Consultation for Parents.
I invite you to watch our IGTV!
Claudia’s Tips For Language Learning At Home:
- Use daily routines to foster language learning development: colors, ornaments, experiences.
- Have fun with the majority language – it is ok to foster love for the majority language too!
- Raising bilingual kids is doable. Research supports it!
- It is a journey! There is no timetable. Embrace it!
Thank you, Claudia!
You can follow Claudia on Instagram and Facebook to learn more.
