“English lives in the throat,” Ignacio explained. “Spanish,” he framed his jaw with his hand and tilted his chin upward, “lives in the teeth.” This would, he said, help with my pronunciation. I ...

Ms. Sylvester is the author of the forthcoming children’s book “A Maleta Full of Treasures” (“La Maleta de Tesoros”). My earliest relationship with language was defined by rules. As an immigrant who ...