Our family embraces language. In our home, you'll hear mostly Italian and of course English, but also Spanish, French and Portuguese. Our 15-month-old is already speaking her first words, and they are mostly Italian - she calls the potty the "Ciao, poo-poo!". Una bambina intelligente, no? :)

Kids soak up languages like sponges, and if you want to give them an amazing gift, give them the gift of another language and culture. Best to do so when they are young enough to fully embrace the accents and rhythms of a foreign language.
I am so happy to offer your family the opportunity to learn another language! Multilingual Chicago, an amazing language school in our great neighborhood of Logan Square, will offer one lucky reader a month of classes (a value of $95). The Winter/Spring term starts the week of Jan. 10th, but you can redeem (or enroll!) at any time). Classes for both children and adults include Spanish, Spanish Music (Fine Arts for Tots), French, Italian, Mandarin, Hindi and Korean. Check out their classes and more at http://www.multilingualchicago.com/.

To win, head over to my family travel blog Passport Family on ChicagoNOW and answer the following question in the comments section (click HERE to do so): "Why is language learning important to you?" I will choose a random winner on Monday and contact you via email. Thanks and buona fortuna!