Spanish TipIf you or your staff are learning Spanish in order to speak with families, learn how to say in Spanish that you value Spanish. Below I have some examples, but make it work with your authentic voice.
The StoryMy mom is a professional artist and graphic designer. I grew up with conversations about how design is about more than making something look nice -- it is about having a tangible effect: making the message easier to read, making the reader feel a certain way, for example. For science fair projects, my mom would not abide me cutting construction paper and gluing it to my board with a glue stick like a normal child. She taught me how to use the paper cutter (like the one in the teacher work room) to make 90 degree cuts, and how to use spray mount to lay out my work on the tri-fold board free of air bubbles. (Yes, I was that kid, but rest assured the content of my science fair projects was not on par with the design: Which cereal stays the crunchiest the longest? was an actual experiment I ran.) Fast forward to 2009 when I started teaching first grade 12 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border. I taught Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Science in Spanish. I taught Math in English. 24 of 27 students were native Spanish-speakers. My school implemented a bilingual program, in which I was a bilingual teacher, and yet when I looked for Spanish read aloud books, I had a hard time finding any, much less engaging texts for 6-year-olds. So every weekend, I drove 45 minutes one way to the closest city library to check out books in Spanish that I could use for my lessons. The selection was much better.... but I noticed something. In the English children’s book section, there was no shortage of gorgeous watercolor illustrations illustrations, compelling covers that drew you to pull the book off the shelf, beautiful stories. On the other hand, the Spanish books mostly didn't. I never grew up thinking about the font inside of children’s books, but after internalizing the design conversations my mom had with and around me as a child, I sure did when I was perusing the stacks at the library. The English books contained beautiful, clean easy-to-read fonts. The Spanish books used what appeared to be free fonts you could find in MS Word, and that I could (and did) use when creating my own worksheets. They were harder for the eye to follow. Sometimes they would be printed in curvy lines across the page, making it that much harder to access. Either that, or the Spanish translation of the book wasn’t given it’s own book, it was put underneath the English on the page, often in italics or some other differentiating visual – as if Spanish didn't deserve it's own book, but was English's tag-along buddy. Despite the fact that the content of the Spanish books was beautiful, engaging, and affirming, they just looked less than. They didn’t make you want to pick up the book and open the pages just by looking at them. If I noticed the difference, and if I have since learned that many other bilingual educators noticed, do I think my students noticed? Yes, I do. Whether consciously or not, I learned from my mother that the way something is presented affects how you feel about it. The Spanish texts available to our students were sending the message that Spanish isn't as good, isn't as pretty, isn't as important as English. The presentation (i.e. publisher budgets) of the Spanish books probably even prevented the cover from ever being cracked, the story from ever being read. This was one contributing factor to why I was so determined to be the best Spanish Language Arts teacher I could be. I wanted to be a model for my students that Spanish is important, that it is beautiful, that it has inherent value. That is what I think educators model when they make the effort to learn Spanish and speak it with students and families. No, it doesn’t lead to fluid native-level conversations, but it does lead to connection and it does foster relationship. It also models for students and families that at this school, in this community Spanish is respected and valued. You can increase the impact of that message by saying explicitly: Spanish is important, bilingualism is special. Of course Spanish has inherent value regardless of whether other non-native speakers are trying to learn it or not, but the message our society sends by and large is that Spanish is less than. It isn’t as nice. It doesn’t deserve it’s own book or the same publishing resources. Spanish Call to ActionWrite down one authentic belief you have about the value of Spanish or bilingualism. Put it in your voice, and type it into Google Translate. (Yes, I am giving you permission to use Google Translate. It can be a tool for learning language.) Then practice saying it ... to yourself, in the car, in the shower, to your children. Then say it to students, then parents. Doing this will mean you not only model your believe by learning Spanish, but you make sure your school community receives your message loud and clear. Better TogetherMy mission is to help educators connect with Spanish-speaking students and families. If you or your staff want to learn practical role-focused Spanish faster than what you can learn using a phone app, you can join a Spanish course for your role, or bring a course to your schools! Just:
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Anne TruranI taught, coached, taught again, founded an ELL program and taught and coached some more. From the border to central Texas to the Midwest. Now I work with schools to improve communication and connection with multilingual families. Archives
May 2024
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