¡Sí! x 3

As a language teacher, this week’s readings resonated with me in a multitude of ways. Mostly, in my head, I was just yelling a huge, resounding “YES!” “Yes” for putting into words what it feels like to learn and communicate in a language that is not wholly yours yet. “Yes” for explaining how language is such an important part of culture and one’s own identity. “Yes” for showing how students bring their own “funds of knowledge” into the classroom, even when they are thought to be “empty vessels” (PBS Video, Funds of Knowledge). I wish all educators could read and understand the concepts put forth in the articles, videos and lectures this week. 

My first “yes:”

English Language Learners, at least in my experience, often face huge disadvantages in school. It is overwhelming to be immersed in a situation in which one cannot communicate or understand anything that is happening. Not only are our young students “lost” cognitively speaking, the emotional and social disparity they endure isolates them even further. (Doechi’s “Anxiety” is playing through my head right now.) They come to us unable to efficiently communicate and learn (yet) in the language being taught, and then as time passes they simultaneously lose their ability to communicate and learn in their native languages. In “Innovations in Educational Equity for ELL,” Tung states that “their communities, their academic learning, and their cultural identity suffer because of their language loss.” Tung urges educators that instead of treating ELL education as a “problem, dilemma, achievement gap, or crisis,” we need to shift our thinking to how we can better serve those very same students that will become the leaders of our communities in the future. 

My second “yes:”

Unless you’ve learned another language, I think it is hard to put into words what it is like to learn to be bilingual. In the process, at least in my experience, I felt I was not fully myself when I was speaking Spanish. Yes, I could convey meaning, emotion, facial expressions, etc. But there is just something different about who I am when I speak in English compared to when I speak Spanish. This could be because I learned Spanish later in life (I did not become fluent until college); I did not grow up speaking two languages or learn it when I was young. (I’d love to hear perspectives from other multilingual learners!) But I truly believe that there is a parallel here in my own experiences and the concepts articulated in “The Relationship Between Language and Religion.” Language is such a powerful component of culture and identity that when it is denied or neglected, individuals and communities are deprived of the “most valuable source of spiritual sustenance without which no creative activity can be undertaken whether in the realm of arts or science.” (Balraj, et. al. 2020) Again, we are urged to embrace the students’ language and culture skills and how it can serve not only those students, but the community at large.

My third “yes:”

All of my emphatic agreement with the information absorbed this week seems to culminate in this idea of “funds of knowledge,” mentioned in both “Mobilizing Culture, Language, and Educational Practices: Fulfilling the Promises of Mendez and Brown,” the lecture given by Luis C. Moll, and the PBS Videos by Dr. Alex Mejia. For so long in this country, speakers of languages other than English have been treated as inferior, unintelligent, and separate. The concept of “English only” in this week’s upcoming case study is a current example of this idea. What so many do not realize is that language and culture all contribute to this idea of “funds of knowledge;” that students come to us with their own culture- and family-specific knowledge that we just need to discover, value, and help them apply. These funds can then be shared, bartered, and traded in a classroom to create a more culturally wealthy environment–a win-win for all, if you ask me. 

So, my question for the week: when time is so sparse, and when so many standards have to be taught and tested, how have you been able to tap into those “funds of knowledge” in your own students? 

Caught Between Two Languages

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