As I read these two articles and watched the video of Michelle Obama, I was reminded of many of the Hispanic students whom I taught when I was in the Thomasville City Schools. These children were so intent on becoming “Americanized” that they were losing touch with their own cultural heritage and with their own language. We witnessed students who simply refused to speak in Spanish with their parents when they came to school, even when the parents needed for them to translate. These children clearly felt themselves to be different from their classmates, and somehow less worthy than their classmates. They were willing to put aside their native language in order to be more like the other students at school. As we (the teachers) became aware of what was going on, we made a concerted effort to encourage the Hispanic children to share their culture with their classmates, to teach us a bit of Spanish, and to encourage other students to respect the diverse cultures that were represented in our school. I agree with Dowdy – I think that, in order for children to flourish, they have to embrace their heritage, not try to hide it. Additionally, I agree with Delpit when she says “To speak out against the language that children bring to school means that we are speaking out against their mother, that their mother are not good enough to be a part of the school world.”
I do believe, however, that there is a place for using – and expecting our students to use – Standard English. In the public world, the working world, Standard English is the accepted mode of communication, and those who are not comfortable expressing themselves, whether in spoken language or in writing, in that way do not present themselves in the best light. I don’t mean that students should forsake their home language – I simply mean that it is important for students to be able to express themselves in ways that are easily understood in specific situations, in addition to their home language. Even as a white American, I have a Southern dialect which, I have realized, I slip into when I am talking casually with my family and neighbors. I catch myself saying “I am fixing to go to the store,” for example – a phrase I would never use in a professional setting. I think that most people naturally develop the skill of slipping into accepted speech patterns to fit into specific situations. Even the Obamas have developed that skill – both Michelle and Barack acknowledge that they speak differently as they speak with different groups.
We, as educators, must walk a fine line between valuing the home dialect of their students and expecting them to learn how to express themselves in Standard English in school situations.
Marlee Wright
Comments (5)
Marlee, I admire the work you and your coworkers did at your former school to allow children to celebrate their heritage instead of hiding it. With all of the testing and curriculum expectations it can be hard to take time to incoporate personalized time into the school day, but I bet your school's support of their culture really helped those students and their families to thrive.
I agree with you that students do need to have speaking and writing skills in Standard English, in addition to their home language. It's clear that you know their home language and dialect is an important part of who they are, but I believe you are right in saying that they also are going to need Standard English in certain situations. Just as students learn to code-switch in their writing when they go from texting a friend to writing a history paper, they also must learn to code-switch their language when speaking to family and friends vs. professional peers.
Posted by Andrea Schlobohm | June 7, 2011 9:40 AM
Posted on June 7, 2011 09:40
Hi Marlee, I like that you used the quote “To speak out against the language that children bring to school means that we are speaking out against their mother, that their mother are not good enough to be a part of the school world.” That quote also stood out to me when I read the chapter. It emphasizes the idea that we as teachers need to make sure we are respectful and embracing of students’ home cultures and languages because if they feel we are rejecting them, and therefore rejecting their mothers, they will not be open to learning anything we have to teach them.
Posted by Kim Strzelecki | June 7, 2011 11:11 AM
Posted on June 7, 2011 11:11
I couldn't agree more. This reminded me of a student in my class. She qualified for ESL services, but the services were not housed at our school because our population of Hispanic students is not large enough. The parent enrolled her children in the new school and within two days brought her children back to our school. I asked the mother why she did this and her response was that she always felt welcome at our school and her culture was welcomed. The other school made her feel different and isolated for speaking another language. This is an important message that we must embrace the whole child and not shun one part of his/her life because it is not the main focus at the school. We must celebrate a child for his or her own culture and make them feel apart of whatever community they choose to live in. We must do our part as teachers to learn thier culture as we expect the students to learn ours. As teachers we have to raise the bar and incorporate both into our daily routines.
Posted by Kara Scott | June 7, 2011 11:14 AM
Posted on June 7, 2011 11:14
I think it is very important for our Hispanic students as well as all minority groups to share their culture with their classmates. I think a good way to encourage this is to use good multicultural literature there are so many things our students can learn from one another. I agree that there is a time when our students must use proper language, but they must understand it's not at the cost of thier native language. I had never thought about speaking against their mother as you stated. WOW...that is so true and the last thing we want is for the parents to feel like they don't belong in their child's school or in the learning process.
Posted by Karin Scott | June 7, 2011 9:05 PM
Posted on June 7, 2011 21:05
Wow Marlee -- how insightful that you and the other teachers made space for multiple expressions of language in your school! I think you pointed out a very important point of the readings -- that *balance* is the key to addressing the use of the many languages and dialects that are available for use in different settings. This awareness, I believe, might be a significant learning moment for many children in our schools!
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 9, 2011 10:50 AM
Posted on June 9, 2011 10:50