Dayra Gonzalez 
THE RIDER FILE PHOTO
Pre-registration is now open for the Torneo de Ortografía y Batalla de los Libros, a Spanish literacy competition hosted by the Center for Bilingual Learning and Innovation at UTRGV, which will take place March 28, 2026 on the Edinburg campus. Pre-registration opened Oct. 14.
Christian Zúñiga, director of the Center for Bilingual Learning and Innovation, said the annual event invites students from region one schools and UTRGV undergraduates to participate in spelling and reading contests designed to celebrate bilingualism and promote Spanish literacy through “friendly competition” across the Rio Grande Valley.
Zúñiga added students should not be intimidated by the Spanish spelling challenge.
“Don’t let the fact that it’s in Spanish scare you,” she said. “Some people are surprised at how much they actually know.”
The director said pre-registration will remain open through Nov. 14, and all undergraduate students are encouraged to sign up using their university email.
“We really encourage participation from all our colleges,” Zúñiga said.
The competition features two categories: Torneo de Ortografía, which focuses on Spanish spelling, and Batalla de los Libros, a reading comprehension event for dual language districts.
“We expanded the Batalla de los Libros portion of it and, [next year], it’s going to be concurrent with Torneo,” Zúñiga said.
Laura Garza, senior lecturer from the Department of Spanish, said events like this strengthen students’ language skills and cultural identity.
“It is very important that students see these types of competitions, above all related to language, as an opportunity to develop their vocabulary,” Garza said in Spanish. “Having a good orthography says a lot about the person who is writing that.”
She said the event also reflects the university’s role in supporting bilingualism in the Valley.
“We live between two languages, that’s something that will remain forever,” Garza said. “It is great that a university supports language.”
She added preserving Spanish as a cultural element is essential in a border region.
“Language is an element you can’t take off a culture,” Garza said. “Then, in the zone we’re in, having these types of competitions helps you maintain it, preserve it and give it the importance it has.”
Alejandra Silguero, an alumna who competed in 2025, said her experience in the tournament was both challenging and rewarding.
“It was scary at the beginning, because the expectation was high,” Silguero said. “But everyone in there was very friendly [and] supportive. The instructions were wonderful. The staff, volunteers, everyone was really, really nice.”
She said the competition helped her appreciate her first language in an academic setting.
“I got motivated because it was in Spanish, which is my first language,” Silguero said. “It gives you this type of feeling where you get to say, ‘Oh, they’re giving me this opportunity and I know I can do it.’”
Zúñiga said the event highlights the Valley’s bilingual identity.
“When we celebrate Spanish spelling and reading, we’re recognizing the linguistic resources of our community,” she said. “It helps participants see themselves as truly bilingual.”
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