Interpretations of a Bilingual Life

The PhD adventure officially begins!

I paid my tuition bill this past week and was trying not to sweat, cry, or let any of my insecurities about this pursuit over take me because damn the tuition bill was expensive!!! Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it, but then I remember that the one thing not a single soul can take away from you is an education. Knowledge is power, it’s true. I observe this everyday.

So, the extensive post below is one of my first assignements due this coming Monday. Class hasn’t even begun and the professor sent a friendly e-mail attaching some readings and an essay that is due Monday.

I don’t know if anyone reads my blog, but to those of you who do I hope you enjoy my mini biography. I haven’t stated this publicly, but I will now. I hope to one day publish a book not just about my research, but about my “interpretations of a bilingual life.”

Enjoy the read and if you so dare, leave me a comment.

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Bilingual & Bicultural Education

I didn’t realize I was of Mexican descent until I moved from a majority Latino city in Southern California to a majority white city in Southern California. I grew up in Santa Ana, California where my elementary school was pretty diverse. We had white, Asian, Latino, and Filipino students, although my nuclear family was part of a close-knit Latino community through our Catholic church. My parents were involved with helping “at-risk” youth get through all of their trials and tribulations. They were also involved in grass roots activities, like protesting against negligent apartment owners where many of their “at-risk” youths lived. I can remember one time participating in one of the protests and seeing Jorge Ramos interview some of the grass-roots organizers like my parents. That experience is part of the reason why I decided to read his most recent book called, Lo Que Vi.

My parents immigrated to Brownsville, Texas from Tamaulipas, Mexico in the late sixties. They came here legally, although my maternal grandmother came to work in Texas many times as an illegal immigrant in order to make ends meet. My paternal grandfather brought his family to the U.S. as a bracero worker. My paternal grandmother was born in South Texas, but moved to Mexico without a birth certificate, so when she came back to the States she had to get “papers” proving her citizenship, which ended up being Mexican due to lack of proof that she was born in the U.S.A. My mother was 13 when she immigrated and my father was 16 years old. Four years later they married and by the time my mother was 22 years old she had her third child. I lived in Brownsville until I was two years old and in California until I was 18 years old.

Language gurus state that after a certain age an individual will speak in the language that is considered to be their mother-tongue. This was the case for my parents. In our home they always spoke in Spanish to each other and as the years went by they spoke in Spanish to us less and less. I remember constantly hearing Spanish in my home, from the radio station, television, and friends that would come over. My parents never forced us to speak Spanish, they just always spoke it. To this day my mother speaks to me in her beautiful Spanish, while I speak to her in my “educated English.” As I grew older and realized that I understood two languages; my interest in improving my Spanish also grew.

I was tracked in high-school partially because I probably didn’t do well on standardized assessments and partially because the counselor knew my mother was raising three daughters alone. I guess you can say she knew her statistics. After my father passed away we moved to an “all white” city. I got asked many ignorant questions like, “Where do you tan?” to “Does your mom know any good sewers?” This is one of the ways I realized I was different, other than the fact that the only Latinos I could see in our community were the ones mowing the lawn or cooking food in restaurants.

The only other language experience I had, other than my exposure to Spanish at home, was my two years of high-school Spanish, both if which I passed with an easy “A.” I know my story is very much a cliché as a first generation born and raised in the U.S., but I like to think that it is somewhat unique, at least the years beyond high-school. We moved to Texas, where I started taking classes at a community college. I was forced to take remedial reading and writing. Ok, so maybe the few years after high school are still a little common amongst first generation Chicanos.

At 20 years old I experienced two events that changed the course of my life forever. I traveled outside of the USA for the first time, visiting my maternal grandmothers’ home state of Jalisco and I transferred to a four year university, the same one I am attending for my Ph.D. In Guadalajara I realized that I was American and at UT I realized that I had had a horrible education. I was put on academic probation after my first semester!

In December of 1996 I knew that I had to make a deliberate decision to continue my studies, while at the same acknowledging that I was walking a fine line of being a part of a stupid statistic that apparently was very clear to high school counselor, which ultimately meant dropping out of college and working at a hourly paid job for years on end. The following semester I tested out of all four Spanish classes, required to graduate, which helped my G.P.A., but also made me realize that I know Spanish, not as well as a native speaker, but I knew what sounded correct and what did not. After that strenuous year, I focused on making it through my studies and improving my Spanish by reading anything I could find that was written in Spanish. Since my trip to Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1996 I have traveled every summer to a different Spanish-speaking country in efforts to improve my Spanish. I have spent anywhere from a week to a month and a half each summer in another country. After twelve years of trying to speak Spanish eloquently and without an English accent I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be as fluent or close to fluent as a native speaker until I at least live in a Spanish-speaking country.

After I graduated in 1999 with my Bachelors of Arts degree I sought after several different job opportunities. No one would hire me. I had spent the last five years just trying to stay afloat. All of my time went into studying, all of it. I wasn’t involved in any clubs, nor did I venture abroad to study. I didn’t have the funds nor did I have the time to waste because I was too busy literally studying. As I was applying and sometimes interviewing for positions with different companies, an idea dawned on me. Not only was not being prepared for college detrimental to my “student life”, it was also detrimental to my post-graduation life. No one would hire me because I didn’t have a well rounded college experience nor did I have a degree that would allow me to do a specific job, like accounting.

I realized that the education an individual receives prior to college can have a huge impact on what their life in college and beyond is like. I ended up resorting to what I was doing to help me eat and live while in college, which was dental assisting and the pay sucked! In 2002 I was utterly sick of being a dental assistant. I had tried working my way up as a bank teller and as a recruiter’s assistant, but both jobs were unfulfilling nor interesting to me for that matter.

During the summer of 2003 I was reflecting about some of the volunteering experiences I had had abroad; one was in Honduras and the other in the Dominican Republic. Both revolved around teaching children. That’s when I had an epiphany; I remembered that when I started community college I wanted to teach English Literature at the college level, somewhere along the way I got distracted with my pursuit of becoming a dentist. It dawned on me that all of my volunteering experiences revolved around teaching children either about dental hygiene or English. This is when I decided to apply to be a bilingual teacher for the Austin Independent School District and in 2004 I got accepted to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for a Masters in Elementary Education. It was during that year that I realized how much more I could learn and grow after acquiring the skills to study as an undergrad.

Since 2003 I have worked as an inner-city bilingual educator. When I first started I thought I had a lot in common with my students, but as the years go by I realize we have less and less in common. The only common factor we have is the language we speak.

Through the combined experiences of my personal education as a Latina in the USA and the opportunities I have had as a teacher; I have gained an interest to advocate for learning additional languages in public and private school settings. I have also acknowledged that my expertise and strengths lie within research and advocacy rather than actually teaching in a classroom or teaching teachers. I think I am good at what I do as a bilingual reading specialist/writing coach at a local elementary school, but I believe research and advocacy come more naturally to me.

There are several research interests I have, all of which stem from interpretations of experiencing a “bilingual life,” but also from what I have observed amongst children who are learning an additional language. They include, but is certainly not limited to how the language an individual speaks can define the identity they perceive of themselves. I wonder how the identity they perceive of themselves plays out in the different facets of their lives. I also believe that most individuals who come from lower class upbringings have what I call a *language deficiency, especially if they speak something other than Standard American English. I wonder if having a language deficiency affects their pursuit of higher education, certain jobs, and social status. Lastly, as I delve into research and advocacy for bilingual/bicultural education I hope to develop a sense of clarity in my writing and in the manner in which I speak about my work. This is one of the reasons why I am an avid reader of books by authors like Jorge Ramos whom write about what they see.

**A language deficiency is when an individual has limited vocabulary and lacks the knowledge of proper pronunciation of words or use of phrases.

Bicultural Experiences, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Experiences, Bilingual Writers, Language Deficiency, Language:Culture Expression & Identity | Comments (2)

Support a Dual Language School in Austin, Texas

Hello Everyone!

Some of you may or may not know that I sit on a board for a dual language school called, Austin Community School, hence my e-mail to all of you We are in the process of being interviewed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which is one of the many steps charters have to take in order to be “approved.” Please join us in advocating for dual language education in Austin, Texas by adding your name to the link below.

As individuals who work, teach and live with multiple languages and know the importance of multilingualism, I thought you would be interested in this. We need a show of support for Austin Community School and dual language programs in Austin. Please add your name to a list of community supporters here:
http://www.duallanguageaustin.org/news/2008/08/22/show-your-support-for-austin-community-school

Like I mentioned earlier we’re meeting with TEA on September 9th to prove that there is a need for a charter like Austin Community School. Keep in mind, even if you love your kids’ school, have plans to send them to a different school, live far away, or don’t have kids, your /support for the idea/ of Austin Community School is absolutely important. It will only take a minute to add your name. And *please pass this along* to anyone else,(students, teachers, colleagues) who may be interested.

Thank you for your help! (http://www.austincommunityschool.org/)

IF you have any questions about ACS or dual language education PLEASE don’t hesitate to contact me.

Saludos,
~Suzanne

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Las Niñas by Sarah Rafael Garcia

I am proud to say my sister’s book, “Las Ninas” has been published. As much as I love writing about my bilingual experiences on this site I am by no means a literary writer like my sister. Her stories paint a beautiful picture and offer a different perspective about what it meant for Sarita, Chuchen (that’s me) and Nini to grow up in a bilingual home. She goes on to describe about what it looked like to grow up biculturally. I guess you can say our upbringing impacted us in different ways, but the differences are still tied to language and culture.

If you are interested in reading her book, you can purchase it on Amazon. I hope you enjoy her stories as much as I did.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Las+Ninas+Sarah+Rafael+Garcia

Please feel free to forward this link to friends and/or family that you think might be interested in her book. To learn more about Sarah’s “writing” and upcoming book events both in Texas and California please visit her website listed below. Las Niñas will also be available for purchase at the book events in Texas and California.

www.sarahrafaelgarcia.com

Bicultural Experiences, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Experiences, Bilingual Writers, Language Deficiency, Language:Culture Expression & Identity, Spanglish vs. Code-Switching | Comment (1)

A Dual Language School in Austin, TX

The link below is to a two-way immersion school in Austin, Texas. It is scheduled to be opened Fall of 2009! I am so excited because it uses what is, in my opinion, the best methods to learn an additional language (the two-way immersion or dual language model). The school will also teach Chinese mandarin and have an IB (International Baccalaureate) program.

I had the opportunity to teach in two-way immersion program in Kansas City, MO and observed the great benefits it can have in a community and on children!

The school is going through one of the many processes required by TEA (Texas Education Agency) before actually being approved as a “charter, ” so keep you fingers crossed. The hard work various key individuals have put into making this a reality is paying off!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

If you are interested in dual language education click on the link below to find out more about Austin Community School.

Austin Community School
www.austincommunityschool.org

Saludos!

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Infatuated with cognates/Infatuada con cognados!

I recently taught junior high students English as a Second Language (ESL) for a month. It was one of the very best teaching experiences I have had (it’s hard to beat Buenos Aires)! We started a cognate list immediately. All of the romance languages have obvioius cognates with English, especially academic terms. As we delved into extending our cognate list and as we received new students from Nigeria and Iran, whose native languages aren’t romance languages; I began to do some more research into what exactly is a cognate.

Essentially, cogantes are words that share the same origin. They’re helpful in the different content areas and with academic terms when students speak a language that share the Roman Alphabet like English and Spanish, although Farsi has English cognates, too.

Because most all of my students have been here from 2 months to 3 years I didn’t get into all the intricracies of what it means to have a cognate. I left it simply as “In our class cognates are words that have a similar spelling and the same exact meaning.” Whereas, the real definition includes words that have the same origin and meaning. In other words, their spellings may have changed in one language and even if they aren’t spelled similarly, they are in fact still cognates.

Here’s a list of some of the cognates we discussed:

science-ciencia

temperature-temperatura

atom-atomo

physical-fisico

academic-academico

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Bilingual Education in Inner City Public School Systems

“Give me the bliss of the ignorant or give me the strength to bear the knowledge.”-Elif Shafak

This quote rings true to my heart, mind, and soul the further I delve into the intricacies of bilingual education politics in the United States. It not only describes how education has transformed me personally, but it also describes the harsh realizations that I have come to as an advocate for bilingual education. In order for bilingual education to succeed there are many barriers to overcome both legislatively and culturally in our society. Legislatively, proposition 227 eliminated bilingual services for language minority students in California, despite federal law that protects them in our local public school system by requiring a minimal level of support using various second language methodologies. Culturally, an ongoing challenge I have struggled with is how to have constructive conversations concerning individual misconceptions about acquiring an additional language.

My experiences in public schools have led me to question whether bilingual education in lower class neighborhoods can be effectively implemented in conjunction with other, often conflicting, programs that are intended to raise standardized test scores. Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to work in inner-city bilingual education programs across the country. As a first year pre-kindergarten teacher in 2003, the school setting consisted of the transitional bilingual program which is the standard vehicle for learning English in Texas. In this model children were exposed to English ten percent of the day while the remaining ninety-percent was in Spanish. It was during this year that I acquainted myself with bilingual education terminology and methodology. This is also when I realized that being a teacher also meant assisting parents with accessing social services.

Later, in 2004, I attended graduate school in Ann Arbor, Michigan to get certified as a teacher. In the first phase of my practicum I was placed at a school in an affluent neighborhood. A third of the students in this first grade classroom spoke a language other than English, however the utilization of English as a Second Language strategies benefited all students. During the second phase of my practicum I was placed at a school in Dearborn, Michigan where all children spoke Arabic and English. Once again, I observed that the implementation of English as a Second Language strategies in the classroom encouraged all students to participate. Students also received Arabic language instruction for an hour a day outside the classroom. They were successful in learning two languages, although the influence of Arab and Middle Eastern cultures in the neighborhood certainly provided plenty of opportunities for children to converse in their native tongue. That said, the school had apparently gone through various second language program transformations throughout the years where Arabic was taught less and less in the classroom, and became more of a maintenance program due to the pressure to improve standardized test scores.

Upon graduating in 2005 I moved to Kansas City, Missouri and was offered the opportunity to teach in a self-contained English as a Second Language Kindergarten classroom. Maintaining the purity of the model was not as much a concern as the negative academic impact “immersion” had on standardized test scores once students reached the upper grade levels.

In 2006 I was then offered the opportunity to teach in a pilot program as a first grade dual language (two-way immersion) educator at a different school in the same district. During that school year, the dual language teachers strongly advocated maintaining the purity of the model when our school district enforced a reading program that was geared for the transitional model of bilingual education. Due to this experience the exploration and research into the proper implementation of bilingual programs took on a whole new urgency for me. I began to seriously consider furthering my knowledge of bilingual education by exploring doctoral studies.

Last summer in Kansas City I worked as a Spanish immersion teacher for a mixed second and third grade class. In this classroom children had been immersed in Spanish since kindergarten, and as a result they spoke fluent and academic Spanish. The most interesting aspect of this experience was the fact that the majority of the children spoke African-American vernacular English. This is when I began to contemplate the actual benefits of immersion when learning a minority language in an English dominant society.

Currently, as a bilingual literacy coach in Austin, we have struggled to increase standardized test scores, while at the same time maintaining the purity of the transitional model. The push to become literate in English is so great that teachers have lost sight of the objectives behind the transitional model. In the fourth and fifth grades almost no time is spent teaching in Spanish For instance, a small group of students are pulled out to work on their reading and writing strategies rather than keeping them in the classroom, which is more similar to the “pull-out” method.

My desire to develop a sense of clarity when advocating for bilingual education has driven me to tap into and develop outlets that allow me to explore my thoughts. Being a member of the Central Texas Association of Bilingual Educators (CTABE) allows for ample opportunities to discuss current trends in bilingual education with other colleagues. My blog (suzanne.mateus.com) also serves as a vehicle to develop my thoughts & experiences, both personally and professionally, about bilingual and bicultural education. In addition, this coming summer I am applying to be a Fulbright participant in a teacher program in Latin America. The objective of the program is to compare how the implementation of their bilingual programs compares to those in the United States of America. I look forward to sharing strategies with other teachers, and I am curious to see if they are experiencing similar issues when implementing bilingual education programs in low-socio-economic neighborhoods.

The extent of my work and experience as a bilingual educator will serve as a form of reference and reflection during my doctoral studies. I believe in advocating for bilingual education because studies have shown that when bilingual programs are implemented well, they can be successful no matter the children’s home-life or socio-economic background.* Based on my experiences and research the proper implementation of a model is one of the crucial factors to successfully acquiring a second language. However, the observations I have made lead me to speculate that various curriculum programs intended to raise standardized test scores actually impede the objectives of bilingual programs, thus making them detrimental to second language learners. In addition, I question whether a well implemented bilingual program is feasible when there are various competing curricular programs. These experiences and observations as a bilingual educator have driven me to pursue further academic endeavors with the intention of moving the conversation about bilingual education forward in a way that enhances its effectiveness in the real world.

*Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence. (2001). A National Study of School Effectiveness for Language Minority Students’ Long-Term Academic Achievement: Wayne P. Thomas and Virginia P. Collier. Available from http://crede.berkeley.edu/research/llaa/1.1_final.html Internet accessed 29 December 2007.

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