Creating indelible language experiences

Today the Spanish 112 classes will be going to East San Jose Elementary School to share their libros infantiles with Sr. Cervantes' second grade class. Just as the students in the SUSHL program are a diverse group with varying abilities in relation to Spanish, so are the students of the dual-language program at East San Jose. Some of these kids are immigrants who have just arrived, others are 2nd-20th generation heritage language learners, while others come with no particular ties to the language (cultural, linguistic, familial, etc.). This last group of students is in the process of creating these ties to the language through the teacher, their interaction with the heritage speakers, and the overall experience they get from being in such a program. This is an environment where SSL learners and SHL learners are put together in the same classroom to learn from each other break down cultural barriers and negative myths. Is this possible at UNM? Perhaps it is easier with children, because both are in the position to develop their language abilities in first and second languages.

Returning to the topic at hand, scholar on education and language acquisition, James Gee, promotes the concept that teaching is all about creating wonderful learning experiences. I look forward to going to East San Jose and observing how all groups of language learners, regardless of age, interact with each other. It is my hope that through positive, indelible experiences with the Spanish language, students will be reconnected with their heritage language and culture, and ideally feel confident and motivated to continue their journey of language maintenance!