NYSIEB- Principal presentation February 10, 2012

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Thinking about Multilingualism in Schools in the 21st_century Ofelia García

ogarcia@gc.cuny.edu

www.ofeliagarcia.org

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Overview

School Leaders as Scholars

• Bilingualism in 21st century • Bilingualism in education

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20

th

_{century geopolitics & bilingualism}

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Subtractive bilingualism

Language difference as

problem

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Additive bilingualism

Language as Privilege for Elite,

their Right

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Bilingualism in 20

th

_century:

Monoglossic ideologies

• A bicycle with two full

separate wheels

• L1 + L2 = L1 + L2

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21ST_century

Dynamic bilingualism

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Jim Cummins’ Interdependence Hypothesis

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Dynamic bilingualism

• Heteroglossic Language practices:

– Complexity

– Interconnectivity – Multiplicity

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Dynamic bilingualism

Fluid language practices in bilingual families & communities

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Enacting Dynamic bilingualism

:

TRANSLANGUAGING

• Fluid communicative norm of

multilingual communities and families.

• Dynamic

process

by which bilinguals

“make sense” of the communicative

situation by performing bilingually and

drawing on their entire linguistic

repertoire.

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Bilingualism and Education

Monoglossic principles in the 21

st

_C

• “Ultimate English attainment” as goal. “Native

English speaker” as model.

• Language separation is good; Translanguaging

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Monoglossic school structures

ESL Programs • ESL pull-out • ESL push-in • Structured immersion or Sheltered English Bilingual Education • Transitional bilingual education • [Developmental bilingual education] • “Dual language” bilingual education

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Beyond monoglossic school structures

Translanguaging as pedagogical practice Bilingualism in education

“from the children up”

1. 3/4th_“_ESL”_{self-contained class in Queens} 2. A “dual language” bilingual 5th_{grade in NR}

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An “ESL” class

3rd and 4th _ESL_{: Christina Celic}

• Mini-lessons in English

• Beginners and advanced emergent bilinguals paired

• “Turn and talk” in different languages

• Children pose questions in Spanish also

• Children have reading groups by level, supported by dictionaries, annotated texts, cognate study. • Children read independently in the

language of their choice • Children at listening center • Multilingual word walls

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“Dual language” bilingual

5th grade : Maritza Ríos

• 1 teacher

• Spanish in morning

English in afternoon

• Only one recently

arrived and not bilingual

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5th_grade

• Teacher lectures in one language, students

take notes in another

• Students read in one language but discuss in

another

• Students read in one language and write in

another

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Translanguaging in “English” class: Camila Leiva: PAIHS-Queens

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Translanguaging in “English lesson”

• By students

– To participate- “No sé cómo decirlo en inglés, pero….

Que ….”

– To initiate participation – “ Que las familias, this guy,

every time he has problem.”

– To elaborate an idea- “ Because he has a problem with

other people, and cuando fueron reparar el carro; no es, pero que tiene un problema,

– To raise questions- “Miss, ¿yo puedo poner que muchas

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Translanguaging in “English lesson”

• By teacher

– To involve - “R., cuéntanos en español.”

– To extend and ask questions - “ ¿A causa de

qué?”

– To clarify - “What are four keywords? Las

palabras importantes, palabras claves?”

– To reinforce what students have said – “It’s a very

worrying situation”

– To advance pace - “Si, ya terminaron, avancen a

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Translanguaging in “English lesson”

• Constructing a Latino pan-ethnicity - “los

Latinos es una sociedad”

• Constructing fluid identities – “Even though the

song is in Spanish, we’re choosing words in

English. Quinto Sol grew up in the US but they do hip-hop in Spanish, and we’re doing the same.”

• Giving voice – “Don’t shoot her down. We’re

respecting each other’s opinions.” “People who havent’ spoken.” “Cuéntanos en español.” “No sé cómo decirlo en inglés.”

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Translanguaging in “English lesson”

• Problematizing –T: ”What do you think the

problem is?” “¿A causa de qué?

• Tensions: “Majority/minority// Somos

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Translanguaging as

US Latino languaging

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Translanguaging to change

• Monoglossic view of bilingualism

• Bilingualism as 1+1=2, fixed within static language

identities (L1/L2; NL)

• Dynamic view of bilingualism to give

voice/agency/power to American bilingual students to “self-regulate” and deepen their learning.

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for principals

Bilingualism is not right for the privileged or problem for the poor.

Bilingualism is resource for individuals & society.

1. Use bilingualism/multilingualism as resource to deepen education of their students, and

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for principals

Emergent bilinguals do not acquire separate

second language. They develop and integrate

new language practices into complex dynamic bilingual repertoire.

2. Use home language practices to scaffold more accomplished performance in English.

3. Build new language practices in interrelationship

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for principals

Emergent bilinguals can never be expected to “have” English but rather to use/do English

(“to English”) to negotiate situations and

meet academic expectations.

4. Provide emergent bilingual students with opportunities (“affordances”) to use school practices in English AND home language

practices.

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for principals

There is no first or native language.

There is no second language.

There is only “languaging” (language practices). 5. Recognize emergent bilingual students not as

second language learners, but as American bilingual children at beginning points of the bilingual continuum.

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for Principals

Categorization of bilingual children as “ELLs” or Non-ELLs are not absolute points.

Bilingual children perform their language

practices depending on the situation at hand.

6. Recognize and use the home language

practices of all students, beyond those of emergent bilinguals.

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Dynamic bilingualism

Principles for principals

Language practices of all bilinguals are fluid and are used as resources to make meaning.

7. Use translanguaging as strategy to help ALL bilingual students make meaning, legitimate their intelligence and capabilities, & develop advanced cognitive skills.

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