Language, Culture, Literature, and Education - EDU 3032

How does language affect our lives?

This was the guiding question for our work this semester. Our course objectives were as follows:

     1. Gain knowledge of

• the purpose and systems of language and the process of oral language development
• the interaction of contextual factors for language development and early literacy--culture, ability, family background, emotions
• the elements of effective verbal and non-verbal communication
• youth literature and media; textual analysis

     2. acquire strategies for examining language development and the acquisition of

          reading and writing using age-appropriate media and literature

     3. develop an informed perspective regarding the role of language across the

          human experience

     4. construct a vision of themselves as advocates for culturally sensitive teaching

At our first class meeting, we paired up to talk about our cultural "artifacts" that we brought. My artifact was a photo of me and my siblings when we were kids, and I talked with my partner about how that photograph reminds me of where I've been and how my experience growing up shaped my political views and ideals now.

We talked as a class about what culture means, brainstorming different aspects of culture such as:

home/family
work
religion
language
community/fandom
values/ideology
school
religion
clothing
media
color

socioeconomic
government
gender
sexual orientation
arts
celebrations/traditions
play
sports
healthcare systems
food
poverty

Using the class text, Educating English Language Learners in an Inclusive Language, as our basis, we discussed the many challenges English language learners (ELLs) often face when they arrive at a new school. They have to learn a new language, they are likely feeling sad about moving from their home, they can suffer from a loss of identity, and they could be dealing with trauma. For teachers, ignorance is not an excuse to not teach ALL the students in your class. One of the striking statistics we discussed was that 41% of Latinos leave high school without their diploma. We, as educators, have an ethical responsibility to change this statistic.

We talked more about language in the classroom, and noted these five points:

1. Be mindful that communication produces a response.
2. Show respect for others.
3. Search for commonalities among people and cultures.
4. Respect cultural differences.
5. Accept responsibility for your behavior.

The class viewed the video, "A Family of Many Nations," a story about a very diverse school in Washington state with a high population of refugee families. The teachers at the school talked about poverty and the role it plays in the daily lives of these students and their education. One of the things the principal said was that the greatest predictor for student achievement is the prices of homes around a school. Their aim at this school was to counteract the effect of poverty on these students, and to "take the diversity and turn it into a celebration." A key takeaway from this movie is that it takes 5-7 years, if immersed in a new language, to be able to read and write in it. Clearly we as educators need to be as supportive as possible of our ELL students as they learn a new language, while still valuing their home culture and what their experiences can bring to the classroom.

I jotted down a few other notes during the movie:

• standardized tests compare high-ELL schools against schools without a high-ELL population
• we need to lower the affect barrier--create an emotionally and physically safe environment for learning.
• it's risky for students to try out a new language and speak out loud in class.
• we need to help families feel a connection to the school and get them centered in the community.
• the classroom should be like a family--where the children care about each other--this enhances learning.
• children need to know that you think they are important.
• they will try harder and take risks if they feel a bond with you.
• DIVERSITY IS AN ASSET!

Each student in our class this semester worked on a research project and an inquiry project. For my inquiry project, I spent around 20 hours in a second grade classroom and focused on how the teacher used language to create an equitable environment.

My research project focused on the Ganske spelling stages.  I gathered and analyzed writing samples from across the five stages and conducted a spelling assessment of a group of nearly 15 first and second graders, using Words Their Way. I created this handout for the project.

Spelling Stage Handout by Karen St John Steever

Another one of our class texts was The Skin That We Speak, a collection of stories about the biases and misconceptions prevalent today about languages other than mainstream English. Along with a partner, I created a Prezi presentation about Chapter 9: "Topsy-Turvies".




These are a few of my favorites quotes from the chapter.



The final chapter of Educating English Language Learners in an Inclusive Environment discusses the politics of ELL programs and policy in the United States. Although state governments regulate education, the federal government has considerable influence over states' decision because of federal grants and financial aid that states need for funding. The conversation about ELL programs really goes back to political views. If the people holding power in government believe that "Americans may (and perhaps should) speak more than one language, then policies make room for more than one language in classrooms" (p. 118). On the other hand, if those in power believe that being a true American means speaking only English, then other languages and the cultures they are a part of will not be valued in the classroom. Once new policy is set, curriculum is chosen that follows that policy.

As educators, I think we need to ask ourselves if we really want to go back to a time when children were punished in school for speaking their home languages. Do we need to become homogeneous, or is it better to embrace our diverse backgrounds and teach our children that we are a better off in a more diverse world? Our national education climate has moved toward English-only policies, both on the Republican and the Democratic sides, but this is a dangerous trend. From the text, Educating English Language Learners in an Inclusive Environment:

"Despite this trend, many opponents to English-only programs remain, and the issue of language policy is far from settled. Many Americans still support the goals of the Civil Rights movement and still advocate minority rights, including the right to retain a heritage language. Since identity is inextricably interwoven with culture and language, abandoning a heritage language constitutes an enormous and painful loss of identity--especially when young people eventually lose the ability to converse with older family members." (p. 123)

Language matters. It is an essential part of our identities, and one of the most important aspects one's culture. Too often it is used as a tool to maintain the status quo of those in power. Educators must validate and support their students' first languages if they wish to give all their students an equitable education.