Tag: code-switching
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For whom are we protecting the designated use of languages in two-way bilingual education (TWBE) programs?
After attending the Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) convention this past week in Atlanta, GA and noticing how much “we” tend to place an immense amount of value on a certain kind “English,” I started thinking about the TWBE context. A context that is dear to my bilingual and Latinx heart as…
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I’m a Mamá Raising Language Warriors
Language warriors are “… Spanish-dominant bilingual students [who] not only support English-speaking peers’ learning Spanish but also advocate for their marginalized monolingual Spanish-dominant peers. This language warrior role revealed problem solving, mediating skills, and advocacy, but such attributes are rarely recognized by academic assessments” (DeNicolo, 2010, p. 234). Below is a glimpse of MY little…
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Spanish as a right: We do what we please with our bilingualism!
I have been speaking to my daughters in Spanish since they were in womb. I have made zero accommodations for anyone in the way I choose to navigate our bilingual lives. I have had a range of experiences in which I was asked to simply speak English in public spaces to being asked when I…
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My Toddler’s Bilingual Development
I have been recording (mostly on Facebook) my daughters’ bilingual development. The following conversation took place when she was 1 year and 11 months old. Me: Sabrina, ven a comer los frijoles. Sabrina: No, jole! Me: Ven aquí. Sabrina: No ven Me: Si Sabrina No, si! As you can see her words are “fragmented” and…
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Bilingualism in Ecuador
Bilingualism is highly valued in Ecuador. There is no doubt about that. That being said, I have been trying to understand how Spanish and English work here. All of the private schools I have visited promote becoming bilingual. The public schools, from what I have heard, also promote bilingualism, but at a completely different level.…
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The Bilingual Connection in Texas(Tejas)
The other day I was speaking in Spanish, like I always do with my daughter, and in English, like I always do with my sister. Somewhere between talking to my sister about her studying for the GRE while at the same time chasing my baby girl around the room, I ended up blurting out to…
Interpretations of a Bilingual Life 