I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of successfully educating our bilingual youth- especially in places like New York and California (where CABE is focused).
I was initially attracted to CABE’s Inspire Campaign because of its unique focus on the impact and influence of parents on a bilingual student’s success. It is, however, not only up to the parents to foster this potential and growth throughout primary education. While CABE certainly has a strong network of affiliate groups, business partnerships and leverage in shaping policy decisions, it seems as though there is a lack of focus on the personal experience and preference of the bilingual student (See “About CABE“).
In a previous post, I mentioned that my undergraduate thesis consisted of interviews with Dominican students in an English-only classroom setting. Before conducting my research, my hypothesis was that an English-only curriculum would leave these native Spanish speaking students feeling ashamed and their culture undermined. However, I found quite the opposite. Since the majority of the students in this school were, in fact, Dominican, they felt a sense of security and belonging despite the English-only policies. I found that the environment and demographics of a school strongly influenced the sense of pride, or lack thereof, among the native Spanish speakers.
California schools are heavily populated with Spanish speaking students, among other minority groups. However, this is not to say that my findings and conclusions apply to all native Spanish speaking populations in a given school. Since some parents, according to my colleague, are noticing a resistance by their children to use or learn their native Spanish language, it seems as though this could also be a product of the school environment which they are attending.
There needs to be a comprehensive approach to fostering this incredibly advantageous asset of bilingualism by offering equal and simultaneous support to both parents and students, especially in areas with high populations of Spanish speakers.
Organizations like CABE and the Inspire Campaign should partner with, or create, groups that specifically focus on support for bilingual students throughout their educational journeys. By approaching bilingualism from both ends and recognizing the necessary collaboration and support needed for parents and students, success in bilingualism can only flourish.
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