Recently, Roxana asked “Is it Wrong for Bilingual Children in the US to Learn Spanish before English?” Among the comments on SpanglishBaby’s Facebook page, one comment particularly struck me… a fellow SpanglishBaby contributor Suzanne Mateus, said “the controversy is particularly sensitive when the children come from working class homes.”  Suzanne makes a great point. People’s reaction to a parent speaking to her child in Spanish (or any other minority language) might vary depending on their perceptions of who you are.

When you’re a Hispanic mom talking to your child in Spanish, many people assume you are doing so because you don’t speak English. When I speak to Enzo in Spanish, and then conduct transactions in perfect English, people don’t know what “box” to put me in. Where is she from? Is she American? Is she an immigrant? Is she rich? Is she poor? Why is she speaking to her son in Spanish?

If people think you’re a recently arrived immigrant, the thought seems to be “Why can’t you learn English?” or “You’re ruining your child’s life because now the kid won’t learn proper English.”

Once you’re seen as a professional, attitudes change. You start hearing things like “Oh he’s bilingual? What a wonderful gift you’re giving him.” Or “How amazing that he can understand and speak in all those languages. That’s going to help him when he’s in school.”  Or “He will have many wonderful opportunities.” It seems society says it’s great to want your children to be bilingual if you are rich, but it’s a hindrance if you are poor or an immigrant.

This point is illustrated in this quote by American linguist J.A. Fishman, which  my friend Annabelle from PiriPiri Lexicon shares on her blog about raising multilingual children:

“Many Americans have long been of the opinion that bilingualism is ‘a good thing’ if it was acquired via travel (preferably to Paris) or via formal education (preferably at Harvard) but that it is a ‘bad thing’ if it was acquired from one’s immigrant parents or grandparents.”

In toddler classes I have attended, many monolingual parents hire Spanish (or other language) speaking nannies so that their children can be exposed to another language. I have actually encountered children who have become fluent in Spanish by having a Spanish-speaking childcare provider. These parents are usually lauded for their efforts (and dollars!) to expose their children to other languages.

Today, children’s language classes are booming (and they can be quite expensive!) Are we saying it is OK for wealthy parents to spend money to have their children become bilingual, but it’s not OK for parents with lesser means to speak their language to their children?

Parents from any socio-economic status who decide to raise bilingual children are giving their children a great gift, a gift that money alone can not buy; because no number of hours at a language school can equal the richness of speaking and learning a language 24/7, with all its intricacies and the culture that is attached to it. Parents who have embarked on this journey should feel happy about the advantages and opportunities they are giving their children.

I hope that our country recognizes the benefits of bilingualism, and immigrants (both newly arrived and second or third generation) parents do not get discouraged by remarks or ” looks” thrown their way.

The truth is being bilingual gives individuals a competitive advantage. It really doesn’t matter to me if someone gives me a look or just wonders why I’m speaking to my child in Spanish, or if they assume I don’t speak English. Criticizing is easy. Raising a multilingual child requires dedication, commitment and hard work.

{Photo by Clearwater Public Library System Photos}

This week, my daily news surfing brought me to this article from NPR about the unclear future of the Spanish language in the U.S. The author, Luis Clemens, challenges the idea that the growing number of Latinos in America automatically means there will be more Spanish speakers going forward. Those of us in the middle of child rearing in more than one language are familiar with how much work and conscious planning it takes to achieve the end of producing not just bilingual, but also biliterate, members of the next generation. Thus, it makes perfect sense to me, and probably to many of you, that there is not necessarily a direct connection between ethnicity and language.

More importantly than pointing to this disconnect, Clemens questions what it means when a U.S.-born Latino American isn’t truly fluent in Spanish. What does it mean for the young Latino culture when public figures (he mentions Sonia Sotomayor and Vin Diesel) can’t conduct a proper Spanish conversation in public?

This reminds me of the critique of reggaeton music and the constant battle in my state (Florida) between the Puerto Ricans, with their slang-laden Spanish, and all other Spanish speakers. Is it true that butchering a language will ultimately cause other cultural elements to go by the wayside? I’m not sure that any of us can definitively answer this question because we all cling to culture to an individual degree.

I am somewhat on the outside of this dilemma, since I’m a non-Latina white American. However, because of the way that I learned Spanish and the beautiful array of dialects to which I’ve been exposed, I must admit that I have a bit of a preference for “real” Spanish. Although my son hears slang all around him, I find it essential to read to him in Spanish and try to preserve some semblance of grammatical accuracy in his mind. I tend to agree with Clemens that the level of Spanish fluency presented by supposed native speakers in this country is sometimes deplorable, but I also agree with his encouraging point that this may change for the better with our children.

In the article, Clemens does note the current efforts of some U.S.-born Latinos to raise bilingual children, even citing SpanglishBaby as part of the solution to the potential for language disappearance. While it seems that Spanish is all around us, we forget that the older immigrants for whom our businesses and government now translate everything into Spanish may not have prepared their children well enough to carry on the language for good. It is rather fascinating to think that Spanish could have been virtually erased by the third or fourth generation of Latino Americans if it weren’t for active and passionate parents, many of whom weren’t gifted with the greatest Spanish skills.

Though the news may sound a bit grim and critical, this kind of reality check makes me all the more committed to keeping Spanish alive in my household. Ironically, sometimes we need a national snapshot to understand how significant our personal efforts can be.

Check out the comments on the NPR article for a pretty fascinating discussion.

{photo by exoticabooks}

The holidays are moments when memories are made. As it is with my family, made up of immigrants and multigenerational Americans alike, we gather around a table of feast to live and relive our heritage. Memories kept through the love of our elders and joys of our youth, legacies of culture and thanks are built. No matter where my celebrations take place, my heart beats the Cuban heritage that has been passed down to me from the roots of my ancestors and, with it, a deep appreciation for what it means to be an American.

It may seem odd that a family of immigrants would gather to honor a holiday of thanks to a country not viewed as their own. I recall many Thanksgivings at my grandparents’ home, indulging on lechón y platanitos fritos, the songs of Cuban Spanish flying from one ear to the next, skipping over the plethora of conversations found within one breathe: Manuel showing off the scar from his forced labor experience in the Cuban sugar fields, my grandfather at the table’s head, ushering massive plates of food, screaming out each marvel’s main ingredient as it passed by, the women orchestrating the flan’s grand entrance, my Mom’s quiet, sheepish grin, the Cuban pace was never quite her thing. And me – just happy. In the midst of the Cuban chaos, I remember feeling utterly happy. As true as my belly was full, so was my heart with the heritage and language that exists in my veins.

Read: The Promise I Made to Raise my Daughter Bilingual

Albeit not at the same time, I learned so much about how to be Cuban and American during the holidays. The culture of our celebrations were injected with the flavors and crazed paced that I imagine exists on the island today. But also, my family had to earn their American citizenship, which made them most qualified to teach me how to give thanks to our country. I was instructed from birth to respect and honor my birth right.

My grandparents are immigrants. Through hard work, incredible business savvy and a country whose backbone is rooted on the combination of the two, they conquered the American dream. They fled a country that squandered their aspirations to settle in one that dared them to be the best they could be. And truly, they are the best: the best Cubans and the best Americans. So, as I enjoy my Thanksgiving leftovers, reflecting on a fantastic holiday weekend; as I tuck my bicultural children in bed, I wonder: did anyone else learn how to be American from an immigrant?

As promised, today begins a series of entries related to the complex subject of bilingual education. Ana and I have spent the last two weeks researching this topic, interviewing some of those involved in this area of education including parents and teachers, and even visiting a few schools which offer this option to their communities.

In the days to come, we will share what we’ve learned with you, but I’d like to preface this whole series by telling you that bilingual education is one intricate matter. I feel like this is only the beginning of what I’m sure will become one of the hot topics that we will continue to explore in the months to come.

In the meantime, as I mentioned in my last entry, if your kids are currently enrolled in a bilingual program of any sort, we’d love to hear from you. Remember the main purpose behind the creation of SpanglishBaby is to become a community where we can all learn from each other by sharing our trials, successes and everyday stories. According to a recent New York Times article, there’s about 5.1 million English language learners in this country — or the equivalent of 1 in 10 of all students enrolled in public schools — a 60 percent increase from 1995 to 2005. And, although not all of these are Spanish speakers, the majority are.

History of Bilingual Education

None of this is new, however, except for the current dominant minority language mentioned above. For some reason, Spanish seems to create more of a heated debate than other foreign languages. It is almost as if it didn’t have the same value as French or German. (I believe the fact that it’s the third –second according to some–most spoken language on earth should give all an idea as to its worth.)

Attached to this absurd stigma is the common misconception — which has been around for a long time now and is a favorite of opponents of bilingual education — that earlier immigrants came to this country without knowing any English and just learned it, but now immigrants want special treatment.

In fact, the opposite is the truth. Although I knew the following to be true, I wasn’t really aware of all the details. Check this out: “Earlier European immigrants were aided by many bilingual services and by schools where much instruction was in their native tongue. By the mid-1800s, many states, including Pennsylvania, maintained public schools with bilingual programs. Like many immigrant children today, earlier immigrant students did not all do fine, often suffering from schools where resources were scarce and attention to their language issues was minimal. In 1911, the U.S. immigration service found that 77 percent of Italian, 60 percent of Russian, and 51 percent of German immigrant children were one or more grade levels behind.”

I found that in the Notebook, an independent newspaper founded by a group of teachers, parents and community members concerned about the state of public education in Philadelphia. It was written by retired teacher Ron Whitehorne, a member of the paper’s editorial board. Education officials around the country have been trying to figure out the best way to educate all these English language learners for a while through a series of different programs. Some of the best, in my opinion, are dual language immersion programs — the ones that take advantage of the situation by allowing both English language learners and Spanish language learners to learn from each other, thus becoming bilingual. It is “the best of both words,” as someone recently described it.

Photo by Ana Lilian

Bilingual Education vs Dual Immersion

Before we venture further into this whole subject matter though, I feel it’s of utmost importance to explain some basics. Most importantly, the difference between what has become to be known as “bilingual education” and “dual language or immersion programs.” As well as the different methods for achieving these.

Bilingual education is the term most often used when referring to the method used by many schools to help an English language learner “assimilate” to their new environment. In many occasions, it refers to the fact that there are bilingual students present, but no bilingualism in the curriculum.

Sisi Martinez Purfield, an awesome mom from our bilingual playgroup, who also happens to be a bilingual kindergarten teacher in Denver, CO, with 16 years of experience, was kind enough to explain some of the terminology the way only a teacher can.

She told me there are two main types of bilingual education:

1) Transitional: English language learners (ELL) are taught in English all day, but the school will help them out a bit usually by “pulling them out” of regular classes to attend ESL (English as a Second Language) instruction, mostly related to Language Arts (grammar, reading comprehension, composition, etc.)

2) Maintenance: ELL are usually instructed in their native language, at least for part of the day. This allows for the native language to not be completely ignored, even though full transition into English instruction is the ultimate goal. These types of programs usually aren’t successful, mainly because “to tell the truth it often hasn’t been executed very well,” Martinez Purfield explains. It seems to boil down to “Lack of training for teachers and lack of experience. Many districts are desperate and they’ll hire someone just because they speak Spanish, which of course doesn’t ensure that that person will be a good teacher.”

Other education experts we spoke to agree, but we’ll have more on that tomorrow. In the meantime, consider this: “Education experts estimate that it takes the average learner of English at least two years of study to hold conversations, and five to seven years to write essays, understand a novel or explain scientific processes at the level of their English-speaking peers,” as reported by The New York Times in this recent article. This is why, in my humble opinion, I believe that the other option — referred to as “dual language” or “dual immersion” or “two-way immersion” programs — is the best one out there.

According to Biliteracy for a Global Society, a publication by NCELA (the national clearinghouse for English language acquisition and instruction), these type of programs are designed so that both language minority (Spanish speaking , for example) and language majority (generally, English speaking) students are instructed together in both languages. Therefore, both groups benefit by becoming bilingual. “In this model both languages and populations are valued… students learn from each other,” says Martinez Purfield, who until recently worked at Fairmont Dual Immersion Academy, one of the few elementary schools that offers this type of program in the Denver area. “The goal here is for all to become ‘Bilingual,’ ‘Bicultural’ and ‘Biliterate.’

Doesn’t that sound awesome? But does this type of program really work and how?

Tomorrow: we’ll explore whether dual language immersion programs work and the different approaches used by educators. We’ll also have more on why “bilingual education” in all its forms is so highly criticized. 

{photo by  Kiddies Korner}