***Sorry it has been some time since i blogged!***
Abstract of Project 2: “No nos dejaremos: Writing in Spanish as an Act of Resistance” by Daniel Villa adds a new perspective to the idea of multilingualism in respect to the “combatting” forces of English and Spanish in academic writing. As broad theme to his essay, Villa believes “this to be the case in our profession as we will encounter more and more students who bring a bilingual background with them to the classroom, and that bilinguality demands attention that research and theory only in English or in Spanish cannot address”(85). In short, the rise of bilingualism in America when talking about English and Spanish cannot be addressed only by one language over the other, rather incorporating both. According to Villa, educators who encounter bilingual students (English and Spanish) should not ignore the heritage of their students and should embrace it; he goes into detail with this by offering a broad image of the huge impact of Spanish on traditional “standard” writing (labeling, rising population, monolingualism vs multilingualism) and telling a story from the backgrounds and experiences with Spanish from former students of his, Luz and Jesús. He continues his argument by introduction an idea that heritage language has an incredible power to literally change the world and to name it. “Human beings are not built in silence, but in word, in work, in action-reflection” (Villa, 94)[1]. As a final point, Villa urges others to view the impact that Spanish, or just the heritage students have in general, has on styles and “literacy” and how it preserves the culture of these students to help slow the trend of the “lost generations”. [1] Also in the Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, Page 69 (English translation) Villa, Daniel. "No Nos Dejaremos: Writing in Spanish as an Act of Resistance."Latino/a Discourses: On Language, Identity & Literacy Education. Ed. Michelle Kells, Valerie Balester, and Victor Villanueva. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook, 2004. 85-95. Print.
3 Comments
Rajit Bhandari
2/24/2015 10:20:50 am
This is really interesting. I do feel like there is a lack of acknowledgment in the heritage of the students within a classroom. Teachers are too focused on ensuring that students have competency in "formal" writing and speaking. While this is truly important, I do agree with Villa in saying that we must think of a way to preserve the culture of these students and slow the trend of the "lost generations". How do you think we can come about doing this?
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Selwyn Hernandez
2/25/2015 11:42:15 am
In my personal opinion, the best way would be to put a large emphasis on the importance of heritage at an early age. It should also be connected to teachers and educators wanting to interact and enjoy what these backgrounds can offer, along with the support of family at home. Yet I don't see it happening any time soon because the connotation of English being so important (which it is) in the world and that English subjects other languages impedes on the growth and affects generations.
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Brandon Amirian
2/25/2015 11:17:30 am
I think in today's day and age, many teachers are trying to put a barrier between the language we learn at school and the language that is spoken at home when, we should embrace the mixing of the two, as Villa says. By allowing students to use their culture and heritage, they will be able incorporate their own unique style into their works and the classroom. I should educators should be more open to this type of multilingualism as it could also help with preservations of our culture and could help immigrants keep their languages through many generations instead of losing them after one or two.
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