Language and Power

 Language and Power

Virginia Collier, "Teaching Multilingual Children", Richard Rodriguez, "Aria", Teaching Bilinguals (Even if You're Not One)

    I really enjoyed reading these texts and watching the videos from Teaching Bilinguals (Even if You're Not One). As someone who is not bilingual I often feel as some of the teachers in the videos mentioned they felt when they first started working with emergent bilinguals, scared and uncomfortable. When I was student teaching, I had two students that were in the U.S. for the first time as a military family, and they only spoke Arabic. I had no idea what to do or how to interact with them since I didn't know Arabic. I found that what Elyn Ballantyne-Berry (Episode 3) said was true, when you pair the languages (whether home or second language), it helps with the comprehension of what is written for both the student and the teacher. When students are able to express themselves in their native language, or whichever language comes naturally to them, they feel more welcomed and included rather than isolated like the teachers that Richard Rodriguez talked about in "Aria." 

    "What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right - and the obligation - to speak the public language of los gringos" (Rodriguez, p. 34). He goes on to discuss how he had teachers that showed up to his house and essentially shame his Spanish speaking parents for speaking Spanish in their home because it was affecting how their children were learning English. This made me think of Lisa Delpit's "Other People's Children", "I believe strongly,..., that each cultural group should have the right to maintain its own language style" (p. 39). Emergent bilingual students are forced to learn English and be made to feel like their home language is a "private language" (Rodriguez, p. 34) and some are even shamed or punished for using the home languages. This is just so upsetting and frustrating because as educators we should already know this and treat bilingualism as a gift, as Sara Vogel says in Episode 1, not forcing them to forget their culture and transform to fit into the white, English speaking culture of American schools. It was also cool watching the episodes because the second episode takes place in Bedford Hills, NY is right near where I grew up and where some of my family lives/is from. I am very familiar with the diverse cultures since I grew up going to Bedford Hills weekly to visit family, for sports, and for church. Being able to hear how positively these teachers have impacted these emerging bilingual students is really incredible and encouraging. I loved the activity of the Language and Culture Portraits and I think it is a great getting to know you activity that not only informs the teacher about the students culture and language and how they feel their culture and language is represented, but it also gives the students the feeling of belonging and security because they are being encouraged to talk about their native culture and language rather than ignoring it. From Jennifer Conte and Elizabeth Condon-Kim, I think the biggest takeways are "acknowledging students language identities and strengths as resources in their learning",  "use literature to build empathy across difference", and "become a co-learner".

    While reading Virginia Collier's, "Teaching Multilingual Children", the same message was expressed as the other materials, students must be able to express themselves through their native languages while in school. "To allow the child to express him/herself can motivate the student, which encourages learning" (p. 230). Students should not be forced to immediately learn English and get criticized on their emergent skills when they don't have the chance to use the skills from their first language to figure out at least the bare minimum of English. Creating a classroom culture that welcomes, celebrates, and encourages diverse cultures is truly what can make or break a child's opportunity to become bilingual. "The key is the true appreciation of the different linguistic and cultural values that students bring into the classroom" (p.223). American's would hate to be stripped of "being American" so why should we take that away from non-Americans?