Chapter Six We Speak in Many Tongues English

Chapter Six: We Speak in Many Tongues English 694 Dr. Park Ashlee Roberts Chia-Chen Lin

Introduction �Linguistic Diversity �The U. S is the most monolingual society �In the U. S. , there is a stigma attached to speaking a language other than English, particularly in public �Linguistic diversity in U. S. is the responsibility of ALL teachers

Language diversity and Multicultural Education: Expanding the Framework �Language diversity is a resource �Language discrimination �Language diversity in multicultural education �Native language development �Teacher’s responsibility to make the minority students to feel comfortable

Viewing Bilinguals as a Resource �In most countries bilingualism and multilingualism is the norm �In the U. S. monolingualism is believed to be an asset �People who do not speak English well or with an accent are treated poorly �Ethnicities are seen as having a problem socially and politically

Developing an Awareness of Linguicism �Linguicism is defined as “ ideologies and structures that are used to legitimate, effectuate, and reproduce an unequal division of power and resources(both material and nonmaterial) between groups that are defined on the basis of language”. �Many cultures are denied their rights to use their native language. �Students are denied the right to use native language and are asked to speak English at home

The Role of Linguistic in Multicultural Education �Nieto says language is a cultural diversity, just like race, class, and gender �Language and cultural diversity are the most important roles in bilingual education

Native Language and School Achievement �Loss of prior knowledge when your native language is unavailable �No learner is a blank slate �Students who speak another language are viewed as “handicapped” � Knowing a language is a positive influence in learning another language

Approaches Teaching Language Minority Students �We should recognize L 1 skills when teaching the L 2 �Bilingual programs are more effective than ESL alone �Bilingual education is education that involves two languages

What Works with Language Minority Students � Benefits of native language development � Students usually take 5 to 7 years to move from their native language to English � Bilingual educated students perform better than native English speakers in many classes � Bilingual educations promotes closer relationships � Language and culture are important for academic achievement

Implications for Teaching Language Minority Students � Increase in minority language units are affecting all communities � All teachers and schools need to share responsibility for minority students � Only 10% of teachers are certified for bilingual education � -“ 1. All teachers need to understand how language is learned, 2. Teachers need to develop an addictive perspective concerning bilingualism, 3. Teachers and schools can learn to consciously foster native

All Teachers need to Understand How Language is learned �Comprehensive Input includes engaging students with cues in their instruction. �Many things influence the teachers knowledge of the student �Teachers should participate in events that develop their knowledge of language

Teachers Need to Develop an Addictive Perspective Concerning Bilingualism �English plus other language can make the U. S. stronger individually and as a society �“Encouraging students to use their native language and cultural knowledge as resources for learning is frequently more important than knowing the students languages. ”

Teachers and Schools Learn to Consciously Foster Native Language Literacy �Teachers should try to learn the language of one of their students �Minicucci’s analyzed many schools with minority students, and found that all the schools shared characteristics

Conclusion �“Language is one of the fundamental signs of our humanity” �http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Juz 3 b. Qy. Mq. Bw

Discussion Questions � How can we incorporate English into the student’s home life, without taking away the benefits of native language use? �As an educator how will you use bilingual education in your teaching? �Why is it accepted for students to learn a foreign language for pleasure, when nonnative speaker’s languages are lost?