
Dr. Xigrid Soto-Boykin
Founder & CEO of Habla DLL
Experiences
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Bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist
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Researcher focusing on culturally sustaining bilingual language & literacy instruction, professional development, language ideologies, and policies
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Instructional bilingual coach and consultant
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National trainer for Head Start's National Center on Early Childhood, Development, Teaching and Learning
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Consultant for the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
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Author or co-author of over 20 articles and policy briefs and presenter at numerous national conferences
Who Am I? Mi Historia
!Hola! My name is Dr. Xigrid (see-greed) Soto-Boykin! I could start with my professional background and credentials, but that's not why I do the work I do.
I do the work I do because I have lived experiences as a person who learned English as a second language when I was 11 years old. When my family and I moved to the U.S. from my bella isla de Puerto Rico (#wepa), I was placed in a special education classroom. My mom had to fight to get me out and into honor's classes, while my teachers didn't think I would be successful.
Unfortunately, I was never given supports to learn English, let alone to continue to learn in my español. I taught myself to read and write in English. By all means, I became successful "on paper," graduating with a bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of South Florida. However, learning English without creating a space for mi lengua de madre to keep flourishing came at a great cost.
I internalized the belief that my bilingüismo was not good enough, that I should be ashamed of my accent, and that the stories of mi gente, mi isla, were irrelevant and unworthy in the classroom.
SO...
As I have healed and realized the beauty of my bilingual identity, I am determined to offer resources and trainings so that all educators and families are confident and empowered to support both disabled and non-disabled children who are dual language learners, so we can create a world where all children's ways of communicating, and their bilingualism, are legitimized, celebrated, and nurtured.






