In El Escudo’s first bilingual podcast, writers Azul Cepero Cortes, Maggie Coulbourn, and Ava Deviney discuss their experience learning a second language. 

Both Ava Deviney and Maggie Coulbourn began learning Spanish in preschool, for Maggie as part of a dual language program, and for Ava through a Spanish language immersion school. Azul began learning English at age 10 in a bilingual school in Mexico before transitioning to a primarily English-speaking school in the United States. Each form of learning offers its perks and drawbacks, but all are successful pathways to language fluency in time. 

Learning a second language has many benefits in addition to having twice the vocabulary. Being bilingual fosters new connections, promotes cultural exchange and enhances knowledge and understanding of the world around us. Coulbourn shares her experiences teaching and mentoring Spanish-speaking children through McCallum PALS and swim lessons. These interactions allowed her to feel more comfortable speaking and connecting with kids in Spanish. Cepero Cortes uses both languages daily to communicate with different people in her life, whether it be school and dance class in English or work and family life in Spanish. Deviney speaks bilingually to communicate with a diverse group when volunteering on the weekends.

From immersion schools to dual language programs to immigrating to the U.S., our three hosts can agree that no matter what way you choose to learn another language, it will be a valuable and gratifying experience. 

Intro music: “Gypsy Jazz Guitar (Relaxing Acoustic Nylon Guitar)” by William_King. Accessed on Pixabay.com. Used with permission under the Pixabay Content License.

This story was originally published on The Shield Online on April 1, 2024.