Aria ~ Richard Rodriguez
I enjoyed reading this article by Richard Rodriguez. It read like a beautiful narrative and shed light on topics that I do not have much experience in exploring our encountering. I appreciate Rodriguez's perspective on his own experience as a young learner. His words were impactful and conveyed the true loss that he experienced through his education. What struck me was the push to abandon his home language completely. Through this process, he lost an aspect of personal connectedness with his family members and his culture as a whole.
Talking point #1:
These few phrases got me thinking more critically about how the process of "language immersion" can impact a young child.
-"Silent, waiting for the bell to sound, I remained dazed, diffident, and afraid."
-"the clash of two worlds"
-"But I had no place to escape to with Spanish"
Talking point #2:
When Richard's parents quickly adhere to the educator's request that they speak only English at home he reflects on his feelings. Richard talks about how the change took place in an instant. They gave up the words that brought him "closeness". He had no escape. He later described his home life as "empty of sounds". He describes losing a relationship with his parents. He talks specifically about how gender roles took over his home as well. His mother becomes the "speaker" of the family and his father "retires into silence". These descriptions were powerful and saddening. It is the reality that many educators and others may not consider. The feelings of belonging, security, and individuality that are lost in this process of assimilation.
Teaching Multilingual Children ~ Virginia Collier
This second article, by Collier, speaks to the educator in today's world. It is a reflection and guideline for how to teach multilingual children.
Teachers of multilingual children are asked to do many difficult things and wear many different hats. How can we do this in a way that is practical and effective? The thought can be daunting especially for new teachers entering a more and more diverse classroom setting.
"The key is the true appreciation of the different linguistic and cultural values that students bring into the classroom."
Collier continues to share 7 guidelines for teachers:
1. Be aware that children use first language acquisition strategies for learning or acquiring a second language.
~teachers should emulate "caregiver speech" - direct, simple, repetition, pausing, modeling, focus on communication (not grammar)
2. Do not think of yourself as a remedial teacher expected to correct so-called "deficiencies" of your students.
~having this mindset will completely diminish and dismiss your students' culture and expertise of their own worlds. You must think of yourself as helping children to develop language as an "instrument of intellectual growth". An instrument absolutely necessary for their success.
3. Don't teach a second language in any way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first language.
~we are not eradicating. Students will be affirmed in their home language and given the skills to use academic language.
4. Teach the standard form of English and students' home language together with an appreciation of dialect differences to create an environment of language recognition in the classroom.
~acknowledge and hold space for all languages in the classroom- discuss differences and similarities.
CODE SWITCHING: the alternate use of two languages.
5. Do not forbid young students from code-switching in the classroom. Understand the functions that code-switching serves. Integrates use of both languages.
6. Provide a literacy development curriculum that is specifically designed for English-language learners.
"The most successful long-term academic achievement occurs where the students' primary language is the initial language of literacy."
*Once a child becomes literate in the home language, literacy skills swiftly transfer to second language settings*
Young children should be able to speak the language they know best.
Talking point #3: It is critical to be aware of the social and emotional factors that affect second language learners.
Learners are more equipped and able to learn when they feel safe, respected, and valued. We must be sensitive to the social and emotional needs and development of our learners. In doing so, we are valuing their presence, supporting their learning, and meeting them where they are.
*Missing from "Aria"*
Through this article, Collier lays out the foundational practices that teachers of multilingual children should base their classrooms around. These guidelines were not always the common practice. Even today, there are school districts that do not follow all of these beliefs. Most importantly, we should not be erasing a piece of our students' identity. We must embrace and value who they are and give them the tools to be successful within our society. There is no "correct" or "better" way to communicate.
The term "code-switching" led me down a rabbit hole on YouTube. I learned about how code-switching is not always about language. We may code-switch to fit in in different social spaces in our lives. For many of us who may feel "imposter syndrome" we may turn this code-switch on implicitly because we have been taught or made to feel that we cannot be who we are. It holds true for many of the values we speak about in our blogs and in our class. Naya Stevens speaks about her experience with code-switching. She recalls the first time she code-switched was when she was nine years old. She speaks about how her version of English was corrected so much that she began to silence herself. She learned that she could not be herself.
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