ED 516 Foundations of Bilingual Education
Jill Kerper Mora
San Diego State University
Philosophy of Bilingual/L2 Education
Assignment Guidelines
Table of Contents
| Purpose | Resources | Organization |
| Thought-provoking Questions | L2 Learning Experiences | Issues in Bilingual Education |
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to assist students in clearly
defining and articulating a personal and professional statement of their values, beliefs,
experiences and goals as a bilingual and/or English language development (B/CLAD) teacher.
This philosophy statement will support teachers in addressing many of the questions about
effective teaching strategies for language minority students and challenges to bilingual
education that may be posed by administrators, parents, community members and colleagues.
Resources
The resources to draw from in formulating a philosophy of bilingual/L2 education include the following:
Your own experiences as a second language
learner.
Your own experiences working with limited
English proficient (LEP) children.
The goals of bilingual/L2 education and
model bilingual programs.
The theoretical foundations of bilingual
education and knowledge base of effective
pedagogical practices for language minority students.
Research on bilingual teaching
methodology, the effectiveness of bilingual education, and second language
learning.
The philosophy of a teacher who works with
language minority students who you would choose as a role model.
The issues surrounding bilingual and
second language education that are manifested in political
and educational controversy--in particular, the changes in the law governing the
education of language minority students as a result of passage of Proposition 227.
There is a folder of resources on this topic in Love Library on reserve. Also, consult Dr. Mora's CLAD Website for online instructional modules and links to Internet resources on bilingual and second-language education.
Some of the following questions will serve as a guide to your thinking while writing your philosophy statement.
Why have I chosen to earn a B/CLAD credential or certificate? How would I define my
commitment to teaching limited English proficient students?
What do I believe about the value of bilingualism in society? How has being
bilingual or learning a second language enhanced my own academic skills? my view of the
world? my personal relationships?
What are my beliefs about how and why
bilingual education is effective (or not as effective as it should be)? What model of bilingual/L2 education do I believe in the
most? Why? How do I define this model when talking to other educators and/or to the public
about language minority students' education?
What do I believe about the way
Spanish and English should be used in the classroom as a medium of instruction and as a
means of communication? Do students "pick-up"
a language or do they need to be explicitly taught a second language?
What do I know about the culture of language minority students that will affect the
way I teach and the type of learning environment I create
in my classroom?
If a parent requests a waiver to withdraw his/her child from the English
immersion program mandated under Proposition 227, what would I say to that parent
regarding this decision?
The organization of your philosophy statement is important. You can begin with more global, general statements and develop into more specific detail. Keep in mind the type of audience who might be examining your philosophy, such as prospective employer, a program development committee, an accreditation evaluator, etc. Do not attempt to be extremely formal, since you are describing yourself. Consequently, the use of personal pronouns is permissible.
The philosophy statement will be from three to five pages typed double-spaced in narrative form. The assignment will be graded using the grading scale attached according to the level of higher order thinking and integration of course concepts.
Reflecting on Your L2 Learning Experiences
As a candidate for the CLAD credential, you are required to have had some experience learning and studying a foreign or second language. The purpose of these questions is to help you reflect on your own second-language learning and teaching experiences to determine how foreign or second-language teaching has evolved and why. Your experiences will shape the way you feel about language learning and teaching and how you approach L2 learners.
What was your first experience in
school with learning a foreign language? Was the experience part of a formal program or
was it informal/social in nature? Was the experience positive or negative; pleasant or
unpleasant?
Why did you choose to study a
particular foreign language?
What was your purpose in studying the
foreign language?
What methods were used to teach you
the foreign language in school? What was the emphasis in terms of abilities and skills for
using the language, i.e. to speak, read, do grammar drills?
What were you told about the speakers
of that particular foreign language in regard to their prestige and importance? Their culture and customs? Their place in the mosaic of
the United States or North America if the language is spoken by immigrant groups?
What did you get out of your study of
a foreign language: What level of skill? What attitudes? What personal goals or ambitions?
In what ways, if any, have you
continued your study of a foreign language beyond the school experience?
Will you or do you teach your English
language learners using the same or different methods
than those used to teach you? Why or why not?
Linguistic issues
- Value of bilingualism
- Bilingualism as a possible divisive factor
- Subtractive vs. additive bilingualism & language prestige
- Language as "cultural capital" or as an impediment to academic achievement
Cultural issues
- Assimilation vs. acculturation
- Segregation of students by language
- Cross-generation and recent immigrant conflicts
- Cultural enclaves and size of populations
- Cultural values and learning styles
- Cultural identification & self-esteem
Academic
program issues
- Type & duration of programs
- Program effectiveness
- Staffing & teacher training
- Funding & resource allocation
- School district demographics & community values
Additional Resources on Bilingual Education:
Navigating Dr. Mora's Website
This page was last updated on 08/02/00