I love the way that the readings for this class make me think outside of the box. It is so easy to get comfortable in our classrooms and not give enough thought to some of these things that matter so much to the true success of our students. I found myself sitting around a coworker’s table afterschool the other day telling my team about what we have been reading. They were so intrigued and it started up a great discussion!
The article called Trilingualism is a great follow-up article to the Delpit article that we read earlier in the week. I agreed with Delpit that students must know how and when to “code switch,” but to me the Baker article made the idea of code switching very practical. It is so true that each of us use language that is different based on who our audience is. It is also true that we learn best when we make the choice to learn. Baker says that “students can learn formal grammar quite well when they discover that they have control over the choices that they make: to learn, or not to learn, the languages associated with cultures in which they may decide to participate.” I love Baker’s element of choice. We all respond better to choice than to being made to do something. In this language leaning situation the teacher is still able to control the content that is being taught, but it is presented in a way that students choose to learn from. If given the choice to learn there is always that student who would choose to not learn, but Baker’s approach to learning language encourages students to make the choice to learn because they want to for themselves. This mostly comes through the teacher showing a respect of the students’ home language. I loved the idea of the little boy taping his father’s dinner time conversation and then analyzing his speech patterns afterwards. What a great learning opportunity. And what a learning success when as a result the student becomes excited about spelling because the experience interests him. Role play is another great idea for teaching students correct grammar in a way that they enjoy learning. Honoring the home language of a child is often the simple thing that it takes to get students to feel comfortable enough to take a risk with the more formal parts of Trilingualism. In every area of education we desire to have students who are willing to take a risk because that is where real learning occurs. As Baker shows, when students begin to feel like their own language is acceptable as the “home” part of Trilingualism and they realize that they just need to work on developing their formal and professional English, they are more willing to keep trying. That method sends a whole different message than the message that is sent when we correct a student telling them what they said was wrong. Instead of sending the message that their way is wrong and they must do it our way, it sends the message that their language is great, but that these skills will help them to be better code switchers.
In combining the two articles, I think that Trilingualism is a demand for success. It doesn’t give permission to fail because it allows for students to use the grammar that is comfortable to them and still demands success by empowering students to want to conquer formal and professional English because the context in which it is taught is now meaningful . In a classroom that constantly corrects one will constantly see patterns of avoidance towards the learning. When a student’s own life and conversation are used as prime learning opportunities avoidance lessens and inspiration to learn can rise. After reading this selection my eyes will be more in tune to looking for authentic learning experiences that will foster an excitement about language in students so that they may learn from their own grammar and language patterns.
Jessica Jackson
Comments (4)
Jessica: I enjoyed reading your posting. It sounds like you gained much insight from it. I agree that we all get or become comfortable in our classrooms and either accept the language as the students present it or constantly correct them for not being able to code switch. I too, agree with Baker that when students have an ownership/stake in their decision making, whether it is learn or play, once they decide on it, they are at their best at it. I’m glad to hear that your colleagues were interested in what we are reading in this class. Personally I think these readings would be an excellent source of either before school reading, or summer reading for all teachers. It would definitely give them a deeper understanding and possibly clear up a lot of misconceptions about their students; therefore allowing their students more freedom to express themselves, in hope that the teachers will gain a respect for their student’s language. Your closing remark is near and dear to my heart. It is definitely my desire for all my students to have “authentic learning experiences”.
Posted by Toni Wheeler | June 12, 2009 1:29 PM
Posted on June 12, 2009 13:29
The points you made about the articles are so very true. We are going to have to be open the the idea of trilingualism in order for all students to be successful. Students who are constantly corrected are not going to open up and grow in their English. Students need to feel the freedom to be themselves. We need to model, model, model, instead of correct, correct, correct. I also thought the role play was an excellent idea of giving students the chance to practice code switching and using correct standard English based on the circumstance the child is in. I wish I would have read this much sooner.
Posted by Heather Houston | June 12, 2009 6:13 PM
Posted on June 12, 2009 18:13
I agree that Trilingualism is a demand for success. This strategy forces students to learn about languages and not claim that it is not their language. Trilingualism also exposes students to other culutres and allows them to expand their understanding of their own.
Posted by Shannon Keough | June 12, 2009 9:10 PM
Posted on June 12, 2009 21:10
These readings do make you think outside the box. I was thinking the same thing. So often in school we are told "you'll need to know this later in life", but nobody ever tells us exactly why we need to know it. And honestly, I've not really needed to know that much about Shakespeare or dissecting sharks in my career or adult life, but speaking is a common thread that all of us use throughout our lives. Being able to communicate effectively is probably the most important skill we learn in school, whether it be through speaking, reading, or written communication. You can't force a child to learn something he or she really does not want to learn, can you? If we can find a way to make our kids realize how important these communication skills are, and make them interested in learning them, how great would that be?
Lorie Hedrick
Posted by Lorie Hedrick | June 13, 2009 1:33 PM
Posted on June 13, 2009 13:33