"Language and Power"

Richard Rodriguez- "Aria"
Virginia Collier- "Teaching Multilingual Children"

I really don't like stating the obvious but today I will and say that these two readings were very different.  I felt frustrated for Rodriguez after reading this portion of "Aria" because one of the most important aspects to his life, his family, changed over the power struggle of language.  There are solutions for the issues Rodriguez dealt with in Collier's "Teaching  Multilingual Children".  Rodriguez had a way of bringing me into the reading with his vivid descriptions.  I felt as if I was in his family home watching first hand as the dynamics of his family changed.  I can only describe it as a once lively, fun family atmosphere changed to a much more quiet dwelling.  There was this imaginary scale and as his family experiences were dwindling, it was gained on the school side.  It is frustrating that there had to be a loss/gain scenario.  It only seems right that the two institutions would better the other and work together as opposed to against each other.  If only the teachers and administrators in Rodriguez's school had some of the knowledge found in Collier's article.  I love when Collier writes, "One must teach in two languages, affirm the cultural values of both home and school, teach standardized forms of the two languages but respect and affirm the multiple varieties and dialects represented among students in class, be a creative and flexible teacher, serve as a catalyst for discovery as students learn to operate effectively in their multiple worlds, be able to mediate and resolve intercultural conflicts, keep students on task."  This sounds like a teaching setting rich in respect, understanding, and learning.  The teachers in Rodriguez's environment were focused too much on the teacher's needs.  Collier's quote echoes with an environment focused on the learners.


Quote: By Richard Rodriguez discussing the transition to speaking English
"No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of Our public separateness. Neither my older brother nor sister rushed home after school anymore."

I believe Rodriguez is going along with his belief that for him English is a public language and Spanish is a private language.  I think he means private in the sense that it was something that kept his family unique to others that do not speak Spanish.  They were able to tell inside jokes in the language they knew so well that much of the population would not be in on.  It is a shame that so much was lost.  The last line claiming his brother and sister did not rush home anymore is powerful because it shows how some transitions can have very negative and real effects.

Where Rodriguez's teachers lacked an ability to appreciate the value of his culture and language, Collier's article shows just the opposite.  She writes, "the key is the true appreciation of the different linguistic and cultural values that students bring to the classroom".  I don't know why a teacher would go into this profession with any other view.  If we as educators truly care about the best interests of our students then we must include their opinions, cultural values, ideas, and individual experiences into their learning environments. There has to be a shift as to what we value in education.  It is like saying the only point of education is to gain skills that may or may not be used in the real world.  If we are to have a true Democratic classroom, changes must be made.  It reminds me of Shapiro in the sense that those in power of curriculum, resources, and agendas have the power to "widen the focus of the educations lens" for these students but instead, they do not.

I was surprised how little I could find on the web about multilingual classrooms that had any real value.  All the other topics we have discussed had thousands of web pages dedicated to them.  The best site I could find is below:

http://www.pippinpub.com/s0887510957_Sampler.pdf