Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with a young mom entrepreneur, Kaila Díaz. Born and raised in Virginia to English-speaking parents, Kaila was exposed to Spanish since she was 11 months old. Confident, smart, and passionate about bilingualism, she is the founder of Bilinguitos, a platform that cultivates and celebrates bilingualism and offers families tools and ways to navigate their bilingual journey including language immersion programs, bilingual playgroups, and online resources, and a podcast called Bilingual Parenting Podcast.
Growing up, Kaila’s love of Spanish solidified as she had the opportunity to travel and work in both Nicaragua and Peru. A linguist and an
educator, she has a Bachelor’s in English and a Masters’s in Linguistics concentrated in childhood bilingualism. Once back in the States and in her hometown, she and her friends founded Bilinguitos as a way to provide families in Northern Virginia with Spanish language input for their kids through game-based educational programs. Over the years, they have offered in-person instruction, and also online resources such as a network for bilingual families, especially during the pandemic, and the Bilingual Parenting Podcast. Bilinguitos also offers language classes for adult learners.
I invite you to watch our IGTV!
The mother of a one-year-old daughter, Kaila, and her husband used the MAH (Minority Language at Home) approach and speak Spanish to their daughter all the time. Her daughter speaks English with her grandparents and outside the home.
Here are Kaila’s 4 tips for raising bilingual:
1. Maximize language exposure and input!
2. Find the need for the language in everyday activities
3. Seek ways of communicating the need
4. Commit to the long run!
For more on Biliguitos for them on Instagram @Bilinguitos.
Thank you, Kaila!
