The Debate on Bilingual Education

    

    The discussion surrounding bilingual education comprises diverse arguments, presenting various pros and cons from each perspective.  There are so many different opinions on this issue and has been a controversial topic in the educational system.  We read two different articles this week that had two different arguments in this controversial topic. 

    The first article was by Richard Rodriguez and in this article the argument is against bilingual education.  He draws up this argument based on his own personal experience, he was not provided any Spanish education in his classroom setting.  He describes the English language as the public language while describing his native language by private language. He experienced a slow progress in learning the English language due to his private Spanish language being spoken at home.  He felt a disconnect and felt alienated from his peers at school due to the language barrier.   At which point his  teachers felt the need to encourage his parents to only speak English at home in order to allow for a quicker and easier transition into English-based education.  His parents complied and only allowed the English language at home.  Once his parents transitioned to only speaking English, then there was consistency with the language spoken at school and home which allowed his language skills to sharpen.  As he made progress and learned the English language he felt closeness to his peers and community.  He felt this would not be possible without acquiring the public language.   On the other hand once he learned English, he felt a disconnect at home.  The author states "diminished by then was the special feeling of closeness at home."  This statement is what makes this argument hard to agree with because yes the public language was acquired but at the expense of his families closeness.  

    Now lets discuss the second article Teaching Multilingual Children by Virginia Collier, this article argues the opposite and discusses the benefits of bilingual education.  She focuses on allowing students to learn their second language, while preserving their native language. This facilitates the learning of the English language while maintaining the cultural value of both home and school.  Teaching bilingual education faces significant challenging, it requires the expertise of the teacher along with understanding of cultural differences.  It also requires extensive planning and organization skills, cooperation between teacher and parents ,  along with many other challenges.   Collier has come up with seven rules to teaching multilingual children and they are as follows.

1. "Be Aware that children use first language acquisition strategies for learning or acquiring a second language."
2. "Do not think of yourself as a remedial teacher expected to correct so-called "deficiencies" of your students.
3. " Don't teach a second language in any way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first language. 
4. "Teach the standard form of English and students' home language together with a appreciation of dialect differences to create an environment of language recognition in the classroom."
5. "Do not forbid young students from code-switching in the classroom. Understand the functions that code-switching serves."
6. "Provide a literacy development curriculum that is specifically designed for English-language learners.
7. "Provide a balanced and integrated approach to the approach to the four language skills:
8.  listening, speaking, reading and writing." 

    The Author also discusses different approaches for bilingual education.  The first one she discusses and states is the most successful one is the transitional bilingual education.  This is where the student first acquires fluency in their native language before acquiring fluency in the second language.  Once student is fluent in their native language, literacy skills transfer to the second language much easier.  The second approach is developing literacy in both languages simultaneously, this approach may initially cause some confusion but research indicates few long term academic problems.  The third approach and worst option is to dismiss the home language and place student in an all English language class setting.  Collier states "To dismiss the home language in literacy development instantly places the immigrant children at risk."  There are so many approaches to teaching bilingual education and dismissing the home language should not be an option.  As we all know it can be challenging but as teachers you have the power to support your student regardless of the type of bilingual education you provide.  Children should be supported and heard while increasing their English proficiency. 

    In my own experience I was born in Puerto Rico and came here to the United States when I was a few months old.  My mother only spoke Spanish at home, therefore when I entered the school system I only spoke Spanish and was placed in an ESL classroom.  I was then transitioned to an all English based classroom.  As a bilingual adult I can appreciate the bilingual education that I was offered, I am currently fluent in both Spanish and English and it has been so beneficial in my career.  Working in the hospital setting, it allowed me to communicate with my Spanish speaking patients and now working in the school setting, it allows to communicate effectively with my Spanish speaking students  and families. I was always proud to be Hispanic and always appreciated my culture and in part it has a lot to do with my parents and bilingual education.  I can reference back  to The Silenced Dialogue by Lisa Delpit, she makes the statement " As educators, we need to know our students.  We need to listen to their parents."  This is important because only then are we able to recognize and understand cultural differences and provide them with the best education.   In my opinion the need for bilingual education is great and it's reward could be quite advantageous.  The better we educate immigrant children, the more productive they will become in our society.  

           I thought I would add this interesting video that talks about the benefit's of a bilingual brain                                                     https://youtu.be/MMmOLN5zBLY 

                                              Putting a Human Face on the Immigration Debate

                                          A unit on immigration with Spanish-language students

    In this article by Steven Picht-Trujillo and Paola Ledezma discuss the collaboration of two teachers that joined forces to teach students about immigration.  They did this by putting together lessons and activities to raise awareness about the struggles of immigrants and their contribution to American society.  They wanted to make students aware of the circumstances facing many of the students attending the school and their families.  This teaching takes place in Valencia high school located in Palencia California. Valencia high school serves a student population of 2,500 and over half of the school's students are Latino.  There were two classes that collaborated on the lesson plan.  The first class is Steve's class which comprises of students of different ethnic backgrounds learning first-and-third year spanish.  The second class is Paola's class which comprises of mainly spanish speaking students , majority are first-and-second generation immigrants from Mexico, some of who recently arrived the United States.  Paola teaches second-and-third year classes.  Both teachers had to align the lessons with California standards for foreign language instructions.   

    The lesson plans had various teaching topics like the pros and cons of immigration to the United States, discussions of both sides of the spectrum debating immigrants issues, along with many other topics affecting immigrants.  Students had to write and prepare bilingual skits of situations that were derived from news articles and later had to present it to the combined classes.  The teachers were aware that some of the topics were sensitive, especially for Paola's class which comprised of some recent immigrant students.  Some of these students became emotional because they could relate to some of the stories that were discussed in class.  Some had difficulties writing about some events due to their recent traumatic journey into the United States.  One of the discussions was the immigration situation, especially as it relates to undocumented immigrants.  Both classes had different opinions on this issue but upon discussion" Paola's students, by putting themselves in the shoes of others, they gained a better understanding of those who fight against undocumented immigrants and they learned to discuss and defend their own positions in the immigration debate in both english and spanish.  For Steve's students, they came away with a deeper understanding of the issues and how they relate to their fellow classmates."

    In the end of the lesson plan both teachers found that putting a human face on immigration issues was challenging but also a very rewarding experience.  They felt the need to teach the students that regardless of whether they came into the country legally or illegally the motivation is the same.  The motivation is to secure the best opportunity not only for themselves, but mainly for their children.  Both teachers saw the growth of students understanding of issues affecting immigrants and their families.  The goal and hope is to plant a seed so that these students can begin to effect changes in their communities and possibly change the attitudes and perceptions of those around them.  

    I chose this article because I currently work in a school where a significant number of students are recent immigrants, primarily from Central America.  I encounter many challenges that these students are faced with as they adjust to a different language and lifestyle that are different from what they are accustomed in their home countries.  I believe that it is great to teach students the realities and struggles of immigrants, it allows for students to recognize and value the diverse experiences of immigrants and of children from other countries.  I think it also allows for immigrant children to appreciate the sacrifices that their parents had to make in order to give them the best opportunity.  I included this video that emphasizes the significance of sharing immigrant stories is a great way to broaden our understanding of the various reasons why immigrants leave their country.

https://reimaginingmigration.org/our-work/why-teach-about-migration/

   

 

The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy In Educating Other People's Children 

    The author Lisa Delpit states that teachers should recognize and understand cultural differences in order to provide the best teaching for their students.  She states that there is a "culture of power" which is a reflection of rules of the culture of those who have the power.  The problem with this culture of power is that the people that possess this power are unaware of this power.   They are unwilling to acknowledge that they have the power because it makes them feel uncomfortable or it entails responsibility and facing some challenges.  This uncomfortable feeling brings up last week's discussion from Mellody Hobson's video about the importance of 'feeling comfortable with the uncomfortable."  Even as this power may cause an uneasy or uncomfortable feelings, it is importance to acknowledge that as a teacher you possess a position of power.  This allows for less confusion on the students that have less power.  Students realize that you as their teacher are in a position of power and when minimizing your power it allows for miscommunication or indirect communication.   

    Lisa Delpit also points out the importance of educators to recognize and understand cultural differences in order to give students a better opportunity to succeed in the classroom.  This is where colorblindness may become a problem due to teachers not recognizing and having a deep understanding about racism and culture diversity and how it affects students learning abilities.  When the teachers have an understanding that students come from different cultural backgrounds with different strengths and challenges, it allows teachers to employ cultural responsive curriculum.  Many students entering the school system may have experiences and skills that they can not apply to a specific classroom setting.  They may be perceived as having a learning disability when in fact the teacher may have not identified the student's strength and ways to highlight those strengths.  This is the reason why it is so important for teacher and educators to gain knowledge about cultural backgrounds of students and their families in order to accommodate different learning styles and abilities.  Being aware and fostering cultural inclusive classroom by allowing students to share their stories and cultural experiences.  The teaching should be able to meet the diverse learning needs of each student.  This will give each individual student the equal opportunity to effectively learn the lesson.  It also allows for better performance, increased motivation and higher confidence level which makes for a positive learning experience.  I thought this article defines what is cultural responsive teaching.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/culturally-responsive-teaching-culturally-responsive-pedagogy/2022/04

    One interesting statement in the reading was  "Children have the right to their own language, their own culture.  We must fight cultural hegemony and fight the system by insisting that children be allowed to express themselves in their own language style." While I do agree that it is important for students to be allowed to use their own language styles, I also believe that teachers need to provide students the skills required to succeed in society they live in.  It is crucial to balance cultural diversity while providing essential tools for success.  I do recognize that this is challenge for most teachers as they are overworked with increased expectations.  It is not an easy task to take on for teacher but it is an essential one.   The author writes about one native American student that was in the teacher education program while struggling with proper writing skills.  It was interesting to hear about different opinions of the faculty, some believe that she should have never been allowed in the teaching program while others believe she should not be penalized for having a different writing style.  In both cases she was failed by the teachers, first they failed her by not giving her the opportunity to be in the teaching program due to her lack of skills.  They also failed her by not providing her with the right tools required to succeed in a teaching career.  The author was able to on this student and work on a plan to better prepare for her future teaching career. 

    

     In closing the author argues that students from upper and middle class come into the school system with an advantage because the culture of the school is based on the culture of upper and middle classes while students from lower class are deprived of these codes or rules of power.  They already are at a disadvantage before entering the school system.  There is a need to teach the disadvantaged children the basic principle of this power of culture which has not been taught at home.  She states "when I speak, therefore, of the culture of power, I don't speak of how I wish things to be but of how they are."  It is important to acknowledge that power does exist and "tell them that their language and cultural style is unique and wonderful but that there is a political power game that is also being played, and if they want to be in on that game there are certain games that they too must play."  In other words teaching students to appreciate their own language and culture while also teaching them the codes of power and skills required to be successful in any career path they decide to take.  

    

                                                      Colorblindness is the New Racism

    The Reading by Armstrong and Wildman argues that the colorblind ideology is a new form of racism.  We tend to avoid talking or discussing race or privilege, we may feel that talking about race makes us racist when in fact it is the actual opposite.  The colorblind approach allows us to deny that racism still exist and that it remains to be a big problem in our society.  Acknowledging and discussing race and privilege is crucial to understanding and breaking down barriers.  Avoiding these discussions may inadvertently contribute to colorblindness.  Embracing discomfort while having these conversations is a step toward creating a more aware environment.  This is the only way we can transition from colorblindness to color insight which is the antidote to colorblindness. 

    We can now discuss Colorblindness vs. Color insight.  Colorblindness is essentially a form of discrimination in which individuals ignore people's skin color and believe that by ignoring race they are treating all races equally.  When saying "I don't see race and treat everyone equally." you are ignoring racism.   Color insight or how Mellody Hobson would call it Color brave is racial awareness, the acknowledgement that racism still exist and having open conversations and discussions about different races and how each group is affected.  The goal is to transition from a colorblind society to a color brave society and it begins with racial awareness.  I agree with the argument of the importance of educators teaching about racism and the acknowledgment of privilege and oppression.  Students need to recognize that racism still exist, and it affects us all in many different ways.  Teaching students to recognize race from a young age is crucial so that they are equipped with the right information and learn how to approach conversations about race.

    Racial awareness is the key to combat racism.  In the reading it states that the process of color insight has 4 steps.  The first step is considering context for any discussion about race.  This is having open conversation about race; the goal of these conversations is to move people towards awareness of race and understanding of oppression and privilege.  The second step is examining systems of privilege.  Realizing that white privilege is real, being able to recognize that whiteness is a privilege.  A lot of times it is so hard to see it because it has been so normalized in our society.  Not needing to prove your abilities or no need to prove that you are a law-abiding citizen.  You see not everyone has that privilege, people of color have to work harder to prove their competence while facing racial biases and challenges.  In the reading they discussed an assignment that I thought was very impactful, the 24-hour assignment.  It is such an impactful assignment because it allows you to be more observant of your surroundings and make you be more aware of your stereotyping.  This assignment had me thinking and becoming more aware of my own surrounding.  I became more aware of my working environment and made an interesting observation.  I noticed that there are only a handful of non-white college graduate working in my school.  Most of the teachers and administrative staff are all white while all lower education staff are hispanic.  This was a big eye opener for myself and shows that racial disparity remains a significant challenge.  The issues of poverty, lack of academic resources, language barrier, and racial discrimination plays a large role in preventing students of color from graduating college.  I came upon this video that talks about studies that have found that racial disparities continue to affect us in so many ways and it is essential to gain understanding of the challenges faced by different racial groups. https://youtu.be/H4LpT9TF_ew

    The third and fourth step are unmasking perceptiveness and white normativeness while combating stereotyping and stereotyping and looking for the "me" in each individual.  This is recognizing that we all have implicit biases and accepting the responsibility to identify them and understand that it can negatively affect our interactions in our daily lives.  This brings up a memory of when I was 12 years old living with my parents in Providence.  I can vividly remember watching tv with my sisters one late Saturday night, we hear commotion outside and look out the window.  We can clearly see two white cops physically assaulting our landlord which happens to be latino.  We stood there in shock, not knowing what to do or say.  My younger sister finally mustered up the courage to wake up our parents and let them know what was happening.  My parents come into our room and ask us to be quiet and had us go into their bedroom.  I was in disbelief that we were going to allow this injustice to happen and not interfere, I could not understand why my parents allowed it to happen.  My parents never discussed the incident, of course me and my sisters talked about it but never in front of our parents.  It took me many years to realize why my parents allowed this police brutality to happen right outside of our home.  They were so paralyzed with the fear of retaliation because back in the 90's police brutality was not really spoken of.  Looking back, I still have so many questions that will never be answered.  I wonder what if my parents were white would they have had the courage to face those cops? Or what if my landlord was white would this incident have occurred?  The fact remains that we are hispanic and police brutality remains to be a big issue in our society. The tragic death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement have sparked increased conversation about police brutality and raising awareness of continued police racial profiling.  Certainly, we are moving in the right direction but there needs to be continued efforts in addressing issues related to systemic inequalities.

    Mellody Hobson encourages all of us to be color brave, recognizing and embracing that we all see color.  We need to speak openly and honestly about race and share our individual experiences in relation to our race.  We have to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.  Having an open mind allows for valuable learning from each other's experiences and promoting understanding of racial inequality and how it affects us all in different ways.  Let's be part of the solution, not the problem.  Let's be Color Brave!