WEEK 13: CASE STUDY PRESENTATION

Case Study Presentation

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vsa8r6t4z70t7b4/Case%20Study%20Week%2013.mp4?dl=0

WEEK 12: Lives of Multilingual Children in Public Schools

The two stories that stand out the most to me are "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing" and "Learning Silence".  These are two powerful texts that carry the same message.  It illustrates the innermost feelings of ELLs as they struggle to integrate themselves into a new culture.  In "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing", we learn about Kit and how she felt forced to give up her Chinese roots in order to fit in and achieve the American dream.  Her loss of identity and culture hindered her ability to learn and contributed to a negative sense of self.  This story teaches us how not embracing a student's culture can hinder their social and academic development.
     "Learning Silence" is a poem told through the eyes of an ELL student.  From this poem, the reader can learn about the importance of providing a welcoming classroom environment to an ELL's academic growth.  In the poem, the little girl is feeling scared and unwelcomed in her classroom.  The author states, " I hope Miss Barton will not curl her lip when she looks at me.  I would gladly turn into Jane if some magic could transform me, make me blond and cute, instead of serious and scared with my sausage curls, my huge, terrified eyes, my long nose, my dark olive-toned skin."The little girl clearly feels disliked by her teacher and perceives that the reason is because she looks different from the other students.  Here we have a little girl who has been thrown into a new school, where the people look different and have a different culture than her own.  In a situation like this one, it is normal for any child to feel uneasy and like they don't belong.  However, the worst factor that is contributing to this student's feelings is the teacher's attitude and behavior.  This is causing the student to feel more unwelcomed.  When teachers fail to create a classroom environment where the students feel safe and welcomed, the students are less likely to participate and take risks during the learning process.  Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that teachers create a classroom environment where students feel like they are part of a community within the classroom and valued and respected.  For ELLs, it reduces a lot of anxiety and allows them to focus on learning.

WEEK 11: TONGUETIED

     The stories for this week's readings depict the struggles that people face when learning a new language and attempting to assimilate with mainstream culture.  People need to be more cognizant and sympathetic of the hardships that immigrants face when they arrive to a new country.  It is even harder on immigrant children because they are less resilient than adults, so they feel the pressure to assimilate even more than their parents do.  These children enter a new school where there is a new language and a new culture, unlike their own.  In addition, they are expected to give up their native culture in order to fit into the mainstream culture, which may not be so welcoming to them.  
     In the story "Wasicuia ya he? Do you Seak English?", what resonates the most to me is that despite the narrator's grim depiction of reservation schools, he was able to form a meaningful connection w/ teacher who engaged the students in a fun and interesting way through music.  This is important because when teachers fail to connect with their students on a personal level, the students become unmotivated and disengaged like the students at the reservations schools.  All teachers should try to get to know their students and incorporate their culture and learning preferences into the curriculum in order to make learning more meaningful to their students.
     In the second story "The woman Warrior", it was hard to read about the challenges (including bullying) that the little girl had to encounter during her silent period.  For ELLs, the silent period is the stage when they start to learn the new language and all they do is listen.  They do not speak.  I think that this period for ELLs is critical because it can affect the way they view their own culture and create mixed feelings about their own identity.  ELLs should not be forced to speak or singled out during this stage.  Being a member of the minority group and feeling the pressure to fit in can cause lots of anxiety and stress for these students.  Moreover, if they have a negative experience during the silent period (such as being bullied for being different), it can affect their self-confidence and prolong the silent period.
     The story "My Hawai'a"  sheds light on the sad and unfortunate reality of how immigrants risk losing their own culture when they try to assimilate with the new culture.  I think that it is important to maintain your identity and culture, while trying to integrate yourself into the new culture.  Teachers should validate their students' cultures and make them feel respected, so that they can feel proud of who they are, rather than feel inferior or ashamed.  When students feel inferior, they tend to give up their personal identity just to fit in.

WEEK 10: Translanguaging in the 21st Century

Education, Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the 21st Century


     This article sheds some light on the classroom practices of teachers and students in bilingual programs.  While many people believe that learning a new language is facilitated through the student's home language, some believe in subtractive bilingualism (taking away the student's home language).  This article educates us on the use of translanguaging as a resource in multilingual and bilingual classrooms.  Translanguaging allows the students to make sense of the content by integration both languages.  For example, a student can read and discuss a topic in one language, and then write about it in another language.  This allows the student to become stronger in the weaker language.  Essentially, using this practice would demonstrate that the student has processed and made sense of the content if he/she is able to write about it.  Hence, proving that translanguaging can indeed promote a deeper understanding of what the student is learning.
    Translanguaging works by allowing the bilingual student to use linguistic features of L1 and L2 to make better sense of what he/she is learning.  To my understanding, the student is doing more than just code switching.  The student is using both languages at the same time to gain knowledge and facilitate learning.  Therefore, translanguaging is viewed as a resource in the classroom (a language resource) used for learning.  I think that translanguaging is a practice that is evident in most bilingual and multilingual classrooms. The integration of languages is needed in order to promote second language acquisition and maintain the student's identity and home language.

WEEK 9: MAINSTREAMING ESL WITHOUT PULL OUT

Mainstreaming ESL students with pull-out classes or without pull-out classes?

  I tend to favor mainstreamng ESL students with pull out classes because it allows for the student to work in a smaller setting with a qualified teacher who has knowledge of working with students of this population. An ESL teacher is most likely to increase the student's chances of success with the second language.  They are able to implement strategies to meet the unique needs of these students.  In addition, the students get the opportunity to practice and develop the oral and grammar skills needed to become proficient in the new language.
      Whereas, if you stick a student in a mainstream class with a less qualified teacher who lacks the training to work with this population of students, it takes longer for this student to learn the new language.  The only way I see this working is if the classroom teacher is in constant communication with the ESL teacher and they collaborate on lesson plans and strategies for the student.  I believe that when classroom teachers build that solid back and forth support with the ESL teacher, it improves the ELLs chances of becoming proficient in the new language.

WEEK 8: BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

 

                                  BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

   The history of bilingual education in South Africa has been a point of contention amongst its' people since the time of the apartheid.  Therefore, it is important to recount the political and social climate of this country during the apartheid.  During the apartheid of 1948, South Africa was ruled by white minority and racial discrimination was institutionalized.  Only two languages ( Afrikaans and English) were recognized as the official languages of South Africa.  School instruction was carried out in English for White South Africans and black minorities were taught in Afrikaans.  It was believed that this educational structure sought to marginalized black minorities and keep them from learning English, the international language of success and social mobility.  Black minorities believed that instructing them in Afrikaans (the rural dialect) was all part of a greater conspiracy to keep blacks in poverty and minimizing their access to English, which was considered the language of power.
     When South Africa became a democratic country in 1994, the government changed the two-language policy that favored white minority.  It passed language policy laws that recognized 11 official languages in South Africa: English, Afrikaans, Isizulu, Sesotho, Sepedi, Isixhosa, Setswana, Isinedebele, Xitsonga, Siswati and Tshivenda.  The premise of this law was to promote multilingualism and diversity in South Africa.  According to the language in Education policy of 1997, parents were given the rights to choose the language their children would be taught in.  In addition, the schools were obligated to promote multilingualism.  In lieu of this law, the department of Education promoted additive bilingualism and the use of a student's native language as the language of teaching and learning in the early grades.
     Despite these laws, schools have not had success with their bilingual programs.  The majority of parents are not on board with bilingual education and have chosen not to have their students instructed in their native language.  They believe that instruction in English from early as possible is the best way to for their children to become English proficient.  They do not trust the school system and believe that teaching students in their native tongue will only lessen their chances of a better life.  They choose English as the language of learning and teaching.  Yet, the academic performance of these students have been less than favorable.  These students are failing to develop their literacy skills.  Linguists and educators have tried to convince these parents (to no avail) of the benefits of a bilingual education in acquiring the new language.  Using studies to demonstrate how students who are literate in their native tongue have an easier time becoming proficient in the target language.  Despite these findings, parents continue to frown upon bilingual education, opting to place their children in English only classes.

WEEK 7: THE FUTURE OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION

     We are living in a world where technological advances define what we do and how we live our lives.  This applies in all aspects of our lives, from how we perform our job duties ( by recording and applying data using technology) to how we spend our free time ( by spending countless hours surfing the net or being on social media).  Therefore, one can only imagine that in another 20 years educational programs will be overhauled or replaced by these technological advances.  Students will no longer have to sit in classrooms.  Instead, they will receive their education in virtual classrooms from virtual teachers.  This will facilitate language acquisition for students learning another language because they will be able to do more than just learn about the targeted language from a teacher.  They will be able to engage with other students using the targeted language. Through the use of different apps, students will learn and collaborate with peers from around the world.  For example, the student's virtual classroom would be linked with other classes from around the world.  A student learning to speak Spanish can practice speaking Spanish with students from Mexico by way of video conferencing.  I think this would increase student motivation significantly because it would make learning more meaningful for the students and allow them to receive immediate feedback from their peers. 
     In my opinion, language acquisition in the 21st century would be much more effective because of the use of technology.  If you think about it, the students would have countless amounts of online resources at their fingertips.  Technology would allow also the instruction and assessments to be differentiated more effectively according to the students' needs and abilities.  For instance, an app that detects the student's behavioral traits would then customize instruction, activities and assessments to the student's learning styles.  Ultimately, improving the student's motivation and academic achievement.

WEEK 7: OBAMA's SPEECH ON BILINGUALISM

Share your reflection on President Barack Obama speech on Bilingualism pg119

I totally agree with Obama that learning is a foreign language is a powerful tool.  It is a marketable skill that employers are seeking in the 21st century.  We are living in a global economy where international businesses bring in lots of revenues and keeps our economy robust.  In order to do business with people from around the world and understand their culture, we must speak their language.  Hence, employers seek individuals who are bilingual in order to improve business relationships and seal business deals that will be profitable to their companies.                                 The United States is a melting pot of different races and cultures.  It is an advantage to learn more than one language because it enables our interaction with people of other races to be more successful and productive.  In addition, it allows us to gain a better understanding of our own culture.

WEEK 6: CHAPTER REFLECTION

This chapter gave me a lot of insight on how young children acquire a second language.  I was surprised to learn that it starts from birth.  Babies are biologically capable of learning two or more languages.  In addition, for those children who learn a second language very early on (e.g when they are 1yr old) it gives them an advantage over monolinguals because they can learn new words faster.  In this chapter, it states that early bilinguals have the ability to codeswitch as early as two years old.  I can relate to this, as it is something that I have seen in my own family.  For instance, my 3 year old nephew who is speaks both English and Spanish, is able to differentiate with whom to speak each language with.  He communicates in English with his parents who speak mainly English at home.  Yet, he uses Spanish to communicate with his grandfather, who only speaks Spanish.  Hence, this supports what the book states, that from a very early age, children are able to differentiate which social setting and with which person to use each language with.
   I interviewed a 36 year old mother who arrived to the United States 3 years old with her daughter.  She hails from Mexico and her native language is Spanish.  She states that her 8 year old daughter is learning the English language at a faster pace than her.  The mother struggles the most with her pronunciation of words in English and has become self-conscious about her accent.  She admits that she does not practice speaking English as much as she should.  Her daughter who is eight years old is less shy about those things and will often help her mother by correcting her when she mis pronounces words.
     I think the differences in mother and daughter's English acquisition is due to age and motivation.  Her daughter is learning at a faster pace because her brain has more elasticity than the brain of an adult.  So it becomes more natural for the child to learn the new language.  Children and adults use different parts of the brain to process language. Children process language in a part of the brain involved in processes  that are not consciously thought of, where for adults they process language in a part of the brain where they think more consciously. This would explain why the mother feels embarrassed and self-conscious of her accent.  I also think that the daughter is also placed in more situations where she is forced to practice her English skills, while the mother who does not work, may not be able to socialize or interact with people who speak English.  The mother may only interact with people who only speak Spanish.  The daughter is also more motivated to speak the new language as she may need it to communicate in school or to make friends or play in the playground.

WEEK 5: ACADEMIC IGNORANCE AND BLACK INTELLIGENCE

Week 5: Academic Ignorance and Black Intelligence

 

This chapter was very interesting.  It is sad to read about how minorities continue to be discriminated for being different from the standard American culture.  People of different backgrounds embody the characteristics of their own culture.  Language and dialect is a big part of culture.  When teachers judge students' intellectual abilities based on the vernacular language used by members of a particular group, the assessment is unfair and inaccurate. Teachers are wrong to think that students who do not speak the standard English are less intelligent than those that do.
    There are many people who speak perfect English and still struggle with academics.  Hence, standard English may be necessary, but it is not enough to guarantee academic achievement.  We should not condemn students who do not speak the standard English.  Teachers should be trained to work with the language that students bring to the classroom and use it as a way to connect with the students and engage the student during the learning process. As far as the low achievement rates of inner city students, the focus should not be heavily placed on the students language.  Instead, we should focus our attention on the real factors that negatively affect learning for these children.  These factors include overcrowded classrooms, and lack of funding and resources in these schools.

WEEK 5: RESEARCH PRESENTATION

Click on the link below to view my presentation on the effectiveness of bilingual education in the elementary grades K-5.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ehqn43qnbsil3re/2Bilingual%20Ed%20Elementary%20Gradesxxx.mp4?dl=0

Week 3: Assignment 2- Language Minorities and Education

    The three major groups of language minority students who continue to be negatively affected by U.S public school policy are the American Indians, African Americans and Latinos.  The time line of events in history show how the American Indians attempted to maintain their own traditional educational system.  Yet, when the Anglo-Americans gained control over the American West, they lost their land and autonomy.  U.S policy was aimed at assimilating American Indians into mainstream U.S culture, so they were forced to receive an English-only education. 
     From the beginning of time, African Americans were treated as slaves and denied the right to an education.  It was after W.W I, that African Americans who were free, were allowed to receive an education.  But, because of school segregation, they were not allowed to receive the same education as Whites. It was many year later and after many court battles, that African Americans were afforded the right to an equal education as White people.  Latinos are the largest group of language minorities. 
     Early history shows that Latinos have been marginalized and treated inferior to Whites. With respect to education, there were no regards towards their language needs.  English instruction was mandated in almost all schools.  In 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed in order to address the needs of all language minorities.  Schools incorporated ESL and bilingual education into their curriculum. 
     While strides have been made in education for these groups, the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2002, has taken us backwards by making English instruction the priority.  I think this is unfair to language minorities because it places unrealistic expectations on their academic achievement.  It is unfair to assess them with the same tests that are given to students in mainstream classes.  These assessments neglect cultural and racial differences that affect student performance.  Hence, they are not an accurate representation of students' knowledge or skills.  It is unfortunate to see how minorities are still affected by U.S policy in this day and age.  After many court battles and educational policies to improve education for all, minorities are still attending overcrowded schools with little resources and unqualified teachers compared to their White peers.

Week 2: Assignment 1 "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing."

     "The Girl Who Wouldn't Sing" is a classic example of what happens to ESL students when they are thrown in a monolingual class and forced to learn a new language and culture, without any supports in their native language.  Kit states that she was often afraid to voice her thoughts and feelings due to her limited English skills.  She also states, that she was embarrassed of showing others who she really was for fear of being humiliated or ridiculed.  I think that ESL students should learn in a classroom setting where their culture is valued and respected.  In addition, teachers should encourage students to share their culture and personal experiences in the classroom.  This increases students' self-confidence and their motivation to learn the new language.  I believe that Kit's inability to communicate her thoughts and feelings with others resulted from her lack of identity.
     There were many factors that contributed to Kit's loss of identity.  For example, her parents placed a lot of pressure on her to master the English language and attain the American dream.  This gave her the message that the American culture was more important and valued than her Chinese background.  At school, Kit was also pressured to learn and adapt to the mainstream culture, which was also American.  This caused her to forego and be ashamed of her Chinese roots.  Thus, causing her to hide who she really was.  As she stated in her narrative, this made her walk around feeling invisible and misunderstood.  
     In my opinion, the education system failed Kit.  If Kit's teacher had embraced and incorporated her culture into the school curriculum, Kit would not have experienced difficulties while learning the new language.  The student's first language is critical to his or her identity.  If Kit would have been encouraged to maintain her native language, it would have helped her to value her culture and Chinese heritage. Moreover, this would have contributed to Kit having a positive self-concept.

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello Everybody!

Welcome to my Blog. I will be sharing information, thoughts and opinions about bilingual education.  Feel free to drop in and leave your comments every week!