After reading through “Ovah Dyuh”, “No Kinda Sense” and the Michelle Obama articles, I found myself perplexed with the struggle of language “barriers” that are set in our society today.
As a first year teacher, I worked in a school with a high population of Spanish-speaking students. I was fortunate to have come from an elementary, high school and college career that was full of Spanish classes. I found myself able to communicate with some of my Hispanic parents and students better than other teachers at my school. I personally never though twice about the ethnicity and the pattern of speech from my Spanish speaking students until after reading the Dowdy and Delpit articles.
I knew that my ESL kids had difficulty with idioms and sometimes understanding written directions or oral directions, but I found myself using Spanish and English with these students to help them get around the classroom and to communicate information home to their parents. I noticed other teachers in my school who were offended by those students who used Spanish in the classroom.
I would hear teachers comment on what they thought students were saying (usually negative comments, of course) and that their families were not welcome in our area. This spat of racism reflected not only the students’ backgrounds but their speech as well. It irked me so to think that some of those teachers had biased opinions about their own students because they did not like “the Mexicans that are taking our jobs”. I feel like this instance parallels how Dowdy felt as a young child who needed to “play to a white audience” or “one had to sound the part”.
I can recall some of my students who would speak Spanish to each other and then turn back on their English when they spoke where adults or other teachers were around might hear. I speculate that those students felt the negative feelings from some of the classroom teachers and my school and felt that they were a bit alienated as opposed to the some of the other white students in the classroom. It seems to be that those students were taking on two roles. In one role, (usually at home) they are Mexican, and practice the use of Spanish and Mexican cultural habits and ideas. In another role, (usually at school) they are still “Mexican” but now are viewed as a minority and not as smart of proficient as the white students at school. Dowdy describes her experience as a young Trinidad woman growing up to a survival technique called “double realities”. She notes that in order to be successful in her situation, one must hold both roles and maintain that balance to please all people involved. I wonder today if my students at the young age of 10 and 11 were able to and continue to play both roles in their lives. It’s a shame to me that students have been conditioned to play certain parts in order to survive the social norms day after day.
To go back to the Obama article, I thought about the comment, “To Obamas are adept at using language to send a quiet message: that black America, excluded for so many years, now has a seat at the table.” I wonder when America, the “melting pot” will find a seat at the table for its Mexican population?
June 6, 2010 Renee Hennings
Comments (5)
Renee, I agree that Hispanics have it rough at times fitting into American society.I do think we should do all we can to assimilate them into our society rather than fight them being here. They deserve all we can give to them in the classroom as much as anyone else. I have found that there is a bigger bias toward the English speakers who have the various dialects than those who speak a completely different language. It seems that the reason Hispanics are not welcome in some classrooms is different than just a language issue.That's a shame. My country southern students are thought of as ignorant by some because of the way they speak the English language, nor because of where they come from. Does there seem to be two different issues here to you as well? I see a big difference in the way those who speak a completely different language are treated as compared to the ones who speak a "not acceptable" standard English. Does this make any sense? I'm not sure I'm explaining my thoughts quite like I want to.
Posted by Linda Bohland | June 6, 2010 3:07 PM
Posted on June 6, 2010 15:07
Linda-
I see both of those points crystal clear. I think the acceptance of students from some teachers is based on: 1) How they speak and 2) Where they are from. It's unfortunate that a person is judged by these two criteria before they are even given the chance to be known for what they truly believe. I get upset when I see people judge others because of things they cannot help. Skin color and speech patterns are two cultural things that I believe help to shape a person and depict their personal heritage. Those two things should not be changed because someone doesn’t like that way someone else talks or what color their skin is.
Renee Hennings June 6, 2010
Posted by Renee Hennings | June 6, 2010 3:14 PM
Posted on June 6, 2010 15:14
Renee,
I feel that your point is very valid and as educator's we can't take the responsibility of nurturing our students and validating their past lightly. If we are to generate global learners that are ready for the challenges of the twenty first century they are going to need to hone all of their skills. Being fluent in two languages and having a broadened understanding of cultural differences and similarities will only enhance a person’s marketability in the job force.
Candy Mooney
Posted by Candy Mooney | June 8, 2010 2:54 PM
Posted on June 8, 2010 14:54
Don’t’ judge a book by its cover is just another way of saying don’t judge you students by their dialect! I do believe that children from other countries are given more latitude to learn “English” than those that are born here. Sometimes we may be shocked at what we perceive as the misuse of the English language, so my question is: what are some of the things you have done to understand you African-American population better?
Elizabeth Achor
Posted by Elizabeth Achor | June 8, 2010 4:47 PM
Posted on June 8, 2010 16:47
Elizabeth-
I have really learned to look at my students as individuals that come from families with customs.
Those who speak heavy ebonics get it from their parents. I hear this in their parents' talk when we have conferences or run into each other at the grocery store.
I try to think about how each child comes from a unique home which might not be just like mine, but I am sure is just as good with parents who care just as much as mine did.
I must learn to be open to differences and to work on making sure I am educated on all cultures to help better my students in the classroom
Renee Hennings June 8 2010
Posted by Renee Hennings | June 8, 2010 8:55 PM
Posted on June 8, 2010 20:55