Facilitation Questions for Tues. 7/12 - Chuks

1.) In Trilingualism, Judith Baker advocates for the integration of students’ L1 with other languages of instruction in school (primarily the English language). She discusses how she strives to preserve and to appreciate the value of her students’ native languages in her classroom by intertwining them with her lessons on English:

I begin by building upon a firm respect for each student’s home language – languages

which, after all, are what most of us need to express connection and affection with friends

and family, and what we draw upon for much of our art and cultural expression. Once this

respect for home language is established, I concentrate on how different forms of English

are appropriate in different contexts…I do this because I want their own usage,

vocabulary, modes of expression and their self-esteem to survive the language learning

process. (Baker, 2006, pp. 52)

Personally, I am a fan of this teaching strategy employed by Baker. I believe that all schools should encourage students from diverse backgrounds not to abandon their L1 for the sake of learning the English language. Not only could this further an appreciation of their culture(s), but could also strengthen their understanding of the complexities and the subtleties of language as a whole. As a result, this may positively impact their fluency in both their native tongue and in English, the most common language of instruction in the US. Why, then, do you think some people abhor the idea of integrating multiple languages in the classroom? How do the views of such people not hint at ethnocentrism?

2.) Throughout her piece, Joanne Dowdy frequently uses the word ‘survive’ and other forms of it (i.e. – ‘survival’) when discussing how essentially, she was forced to adopt a Western, Eurocentric frame of mind to attain social acceptance and academic success within her community. Consequently, she abandoned her Trinidadian roots and lost touch with her family’s heritage in the process. Towards the end of the piece, it was interesting to discover that for most of her life, she had been “playing possum,” so-to-speak; putting on an act so that one day, she could use her authority and clout to uplift her people. Dowdy’s need to ‘survive’ in society is a sad reality for many. It boldly highlights the lasting impact of colonization – one that not only deeply affects members of minority groups in America, but to a larger extent, natives of other countries as well. Is it possible for such individuals to escape the psychological clutches of colonization or is it inherently impossible with members of certain communities continuing to promote and push forth colonist ideals?

3.) Kaplan made me think of language in a way I never had before when he stated that “Every language offers to its speakers a ready-made interpretation of the world…” (Kaplan, 1988, pp. 208). Reflecting on your own experiences with language (i.e. – spoken at home, learned in school, etc.), do you agree with this claim? Why or why not?