As a future bilingual educator, I found this week's readings very interesting and applicable. Researchers view language ideologies as central to language policies. Language policies contain both explicit and implicit ideas about language. Farr & Song pointed out that beliefs about language are inseparable from education. Therefore, we must really understand language ideologies. Language policy is often carried out through mass education and education is conducted through language. We must raise awareness of conflict between language ideologies as they inform policies and pragmatic sociolinguistic realities. This helps teachers understand learner's multilingual practices and develop a crucial perspective toward language policies and norms that deem these practices deficient.
There are two language ideologies relevant for education- the belief in language standardization and in monolingualism. Educating multilingual students is a challenge in a society where English is the medium of schooling and wider communication. Many students may not see the benefits of maintaining their native language. My friend worked with a bilingual population of teenagers and when asked if they liked being bilingual, they said no. Top-down language policies can be overbearing as well. Language ideologies in common sense beliefs motivate language policies.
Globalization also plays a role. It has spread and intensified multilingual practices. The global spread of English is regarded partly as the promotion of monolingualism in English. It continues to amaze me how connected the world is. This is very beneficial in spreading ideas, but perhaps detrimental to the true development of languages other than English.
In Kubota's article, he addresses linguistic diversity through World Englishes. According to Kubota, it is crucial that students develop an awareness of different varieties of English, positive attitudes toward diversity, and a willingness to engage in intercultural communication. Students must see beyond themselves and their own languages. There is an increased demand for multicultural education in our diversified society. Reading the phone conversation in this article made me very sad. I agree that this is far more common than we want to believe. We can't assume that others have made no attempt to learn our language. It is very difficult to fully pick up a language, and we can't verbally attack someone because they can't say their 'v's! People cannot and do not deserve to be judged based on the form of language they speak! I remember being in Morocco, Africa and everyone thought that because I was American I would be rich! When bartering, they always raised the price extra high to begin. I had to walk away a lot.
It amazes me how English continues to replace many lexical items from other languages. Even without speaking English, speakers of other languages must be familiar with many words in the English vocabulary. Words like facebook, car names, etc. are all so common to people of all languages.
The article gives a sample lesson on World Englishes. Here is the breakdown according to days and their categories: Introduction to the Unity, Explore American Tongues Through a Video, Explore World Englishes through Videos, Discuss the Importance of Learning about WE, Discover the Development and Spread of English, Interact with Guest Speakers, and Understand Communicative Responsibilities in Intercultural Communication.
Chapter 3 in McKay and Bokhorst-Heng's book really interested me. Many people learn English for specific purposes and may never become fully proficient in it. They often develop a level of competence only to the extent needed to fulfill a certain function. The overriding incentive for learning English in diglossic multilingual societies is the status of English as the H-language and its use in H-domains.
I personally think there is great worth in maintaining one's native language. However, in South Africa, English is taught in a monolingual model. It undermines the productive use of the mother tongue in learning English. As a future educator, I want to draw upon the rich knowledge and ideas that one's native language offers. This is why I am so excited to be a bilingual educator- I can teach my students English while still showing them the importance of keeping their native language and all it has to offer!
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