Perspectives
J A N UA RY – F E B R UA R Y 2013
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N AT I O N A L A S S O C I AT I O N F O R B I L I N G U A L E D U C AT I O N
Say Sí, Oui, Ee, Yee, ’A-ha,
Da, Jee/Ji, Haa(n), Ja,
Jeje, Ye(s), Yo!
6,000 Voices Alive
and Strong!
PLUS:
Asian Parents’
Perceptions Toward
Bilingual Education
Duncan Tonatiuh’s
Pancho Rabbit and the
Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
Revitalizing
the Aanaar Saami
Language in Finland
Reach Thousands of
Bilingual Education
Professionals!
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Contributing to Perspectives
GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS
NABE's Perspectives is published six times
a year on a bimonthly basis. We welcome
well written and well researched articles on
subjects of interest to our readers. While continuing to address issues facing NABE members, Perspectives aims to meet the growing
demand for information about bilingual
education programs and the children they
serve. It is a magazine not only for veteran
educators of Bilingual and English language
learners but also for mainstream teachers,
school administrators, elected officials, and
interested members of the public.
Articles for Perspectives must be original,
concise, and accessible, with minimal use
of jargon or acronyms. References, charts,
and tables are permissible, although these
too should be kept to a minimum. Effective
articles begin with a strong “lead” paragraph
that entices the reader, rather than assuming
interest in the subject. They develop a few
themes clearly, without undue repetition or
wandering off on tangents.
The Perspectives editors are eager to receive
manuscripts on a wide range of topics related to
Bilingual and English learner programs, including
curriculum and instruction, effectiveness studies,
professional development, school finance, parental
involvement, and legislative agendas. We also welcome personal narratives and reflective essays with
which readers can identify on a human as well as a
professional level.
Researchers are encouraged to describe their
work and make it relevant to practitioners.
Strictly academic articles, however, are not
appropriate for Perspectives and should be submitted instead to the Bilingual Research Journal.
No commercial submissions will be accepted.
TYPES OF ARTICLES
Each issue of Perspectives usually contains three or
four feature articles of approximately 2,000 –
2,500 words, often related to a central theme.
Reviews are much shorter (500 – 750 words
in length), describing and evaluating popular
or professional books, curriculum guides,
textbooks, computer programs, plays, movies,
and videos of interest to educators of English
language learners. Manuscripts written or sponsored by publishers of the work being reviewed
are not accepted. Book reviews and articles
should be emailed to:
Dr. José Agustín Ruiz-Escalante
jare21@yahoo.com
Columns are Asian and Pacific Islander Education
and Indigenous Bilingual Education. (If you have
other ideas for a regular column, please let us
know.) These articles are somewhat shorter in
length (1,000 – 1,500 words, and should be
emailed to one of the editors below:
Asian and Pacific Islander Education
Dr. Clara C. Park: clara.park@csun.edu Indigenous Bilingual Education
Dr. Jon Allen Reyhner: jon.reyhner@nau.edu
PREPARING ARTICLES FOR SUBMISSION
Manuscripts to be considered for the May/June
issue must be received by April 15. Manuscripts
to be considered for the July/August issue must
be received by June 15. Reference style should
conform to Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (5th ed.). Articles and
reviews should be submitted electronically to
NABE Editor, Dr. José Agustín Ruiz-Escalante at
jare21@yahoo.com in a Microsoft Word file, 11
point, Times New Roman, double-spaced. Be sure
to include your name, affiliation, e-mail address,
phone and fax numbers.
Photographs and artwork related to the manuscript are encouraged. Please include the name
of the photographer or source, along with notes
explaining the photos and artwork, and written
permission to use them. Photographs should
be submitted as separate TIFF, or JPEG/JPG files,
not as images imported into Microsoft Word or
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may be mailed for scanning by our design staff.
Perspectives
Published by the National Association
for Bilingual Education
EDITOR
DR. JOSÉ AGUSTÍN RUIZ-ESCALANTE,
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS – PAN AMERICAN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
DR. MARÍA GUADALUPE ARREGUÍN-ANDERSON,
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER
COLUMN EDITOR
DR. CLARA C. PARK,
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-NORTHRIDGE
INDIGENOUS BILINGUAL EDUCATION
COLUMN EDITOR
DR. JON ALLAN REYHNER,
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
DESIGN & LAYOUT:
Contents
■ Cover Story
Say Sí, Oui, Ee, Yee, ’A-ha, Da,
Jee/Ji, Haa(n), Ja, Jeje, Ye(s), Yo!
6,000 Voices Alive and Strong!
Anita Pandey.................................................................................................... 5
■ Columns & Articles
WINKING FISH
Asian Parents’ Perceptions Toward Bilingual Education
Fay Shin, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach.................................... 11
PRINT AND EDITORIAL POLICY
Readers are welcome to reprint
noncopyrighted articles that appear in
Perspectives at no charge, provided proper
credit is given both to the author(s) and to
Perspectives as the source publication.
All articles printed in Perspectives, unless
written by an Association staff person or
a member of the current NABE Executive
Board of Directors, are solely the opinion
of the author or authors, and do not
represent the official policy or position
of the National Association for Bilingual
Education. Selection of articles for
inclusion in Perspectives is not an official
endorsement by NABE of the point(s) of
view expressed therein.
Duncan Tonatiuh: Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
Reviewed by: Ellen Riojas Clark, Ph. D. & Melony Davis, 5th grader................... 13
Revitalizing the Aanaar Saami Language in Finland
Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University.......................................................... 14
■ Departments
Letter from the President........................................................................................ 4
Contributing to Perspectives - Guidelines for Writers.......................................2
Are you a
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J A N U A R Y
– F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 2
●
V O L U M E
3 5 ,
I S S U E
1
Letter from
the President
NABE EXECUTIVE BOARD
2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3
Eudes Budhai
NABE Board President
Dear NABE members,
We are living in a time of change! The pressure our education system is faced with today is
unparallel. We are experiencing the implementation of the National Standards, new leader/
teacher evaluations, and new assessments with limited resource. As we move forward, our districts are experiencing a decrease in funding and a tax cap that will impact teaching and learning. Yet, many are yielding great results on the backs of our children and educational system.
NABE encourages all members to be certain that they speak with their local affiliates, advocacy
groups, politicians, and parents to ensure that change occurs in the best interest of children.
First, the test of time will provide us with evidence if the implementation of the CCSS is
appropriate for all children. We have argued that a gradual approach with sufficient support
and resources will ensure “buy in” and progress monitoring towards student growth measures.
Subsequently, a simultaneous tying of CCSS and teacher/leader evaluation has resulted in a
culture of agony and uncertainty. Therefore, it should be noted, that NABE does not disagree
that change is great, but will only strive when planned efficiently and without force.
We have requested USDOE and individual States to continue advocating for funding that
increase and maintain the pipeline for bilingual/second language teachers. This is especially
true if there is a concerted effort to address the needs of ELLs/Bilingual Learners both through
academic support and enrichment. The research on Bilingual Education exists with overwhelming evidence of successful pedagogical practices and continues to prevail.
Please accept my sincere appreciation for the unconditional assistance you have provided
NABE. This support enhances our programs and increases the capacity of teachers to meet
and exceed the needs of ELLs/ Bilingual Learners. Your commitment is demonstrated by your
participation in NABE activities and your enthusiasm to support nominees running for the
Board of Directors. This year we have positions available in the Eastern, Central and Western
Regions. Thank you for joining the new online voting that took place on May 10, 2013.
NABE is moving into the 21st century to improve our communication with our members and
expedite the process to fulfill our obligations to its stakeholders.
Please place our 43rd Annual NABE Conference, Bilingual Education: Sailing to Academic
and Personal Success in a Multilingual and Multicultural World! on your calendar coming
next February 13-15, 2014 in San Diego, California. Visit www.nabe.org for updates and
becoming a member to receive our Weekly ENEWS, our Scholarly Online Magazine NABE
Perspectives and our two professional journals, Bilingual Research Journal (BRJ) and NABE
Journal of Research and Practice (NJRP).
Our affiliates and SIGs will continue hosting conferences, webinars, and great opportunities for networking across the nation and we hope that everyone takes advantage of these
opportunities.
Sincerely,
Eudes Budhai, President
National Association of Bilingual Education
Board of Director
4
NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
PRESIDENT
Eudes Budhai
Westbury Public School District
2 Hitchcock Lane
Old Westbury, NY 11568
W: (516) 874-1833/F: (516) 874-1826
ebudhai@westburyschools.org
VICE PRESIDENT
José Agustín Ruiz-Escalante, Ed. D.
UT Pan American
3740 Frontier Drive
Edinburg, TX 78539
W: (956) 381-3440/H: (956) 289-8106
jare21@yahoo.com
TREASURER
Leo Gómez, Ph. D.
H: (956) 467-9505
lgomez2@aol.com
SECRETARY
Dr. Josie Tinajero, Dean
College of Education
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX 79968
W: (915)-747-5572/F: (915)-747-5755
Tinajero@utep.edu
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Minh-Anh Hodge, Ed. D.
Tacoma School District
P.O. Box 1357
Tacoma, WA 98401
W: (253) 571-1415
mhodge@tacoma.k12.wa.us
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Rossana Ramirez Boyd, Ph.D.
University of North Texas
1155 Union Circle#310740
Denton, TX 76203
W: (940)-564-2933/C: (940)-391-4800
Rossana.boyd@unt.edu
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Yee Wan, Ed. D.
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive, MC237
San Jose, CA 95131-2304
W. (408) 453-6825
Yee_wan@sccoe.org
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Julio Cruz, Ed. D.
Northeastern Illinois University
5500 N. St. Louis
Chicago, IL 60625
H: (773) 369-4810
jcruzr@aol.com
MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Mariella Espinoza-Herold, Ph.D.
Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 5774
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
W: (928)-523-7141/F: (928)-523-9284
Mariella.herold@nau.edu
PARENT REPRESENTATIVE
LTC. Jose Fernandez
H: (407)-412-5189/C: (407)-394-6848
ltcjfernandez@gmail.com
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Santiago V. Wood, Ed.D.
W: 240.450.3700/F: 240.450.3799
C: 954.729.4557
svwood@bellsouth.net
COVER STORY
Say Sí, Oui, Ee, Yee, ’A-ha, Da,
1
Jee/Ji, Haa(n), Ja, Jeje, Ye(s), Yo!
6,000 Voices Alive and Strong!
Anita Pandey, Professor and Coordinator of Professional Writing at Morgan State University
“The world is richer than it is possible to express in any one language”
– Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize-winning scientist)
Is Language Our Birthright?
A is for Asia, Africa, America, & B for
Bangladesh
International Mother Language Day
(February 21) is a UNESCO-sanctioned
celebration of linguistic freedom (SkutnabbKangas, 2000) and, by extension, of cultural
diversity. It represents official recognition of
i) language as a cultural treasure (individual
and societal) and ii) of individuals’ inalienable right to speak the language(s) of their
choosing. Yet, as with most democratizing
events, its birth was also preceded by bloodshed. Some might be shocked to hear that
many in Bangladesh lost their lives on this
day in 1952, when they protested a language law by the President of what was then
Pakistan (i.e., prior to Bangladesh’s secession). Unlike in India, shortly after India
and Pakistan were divided into two countries at midnight, on August 14, 1947—
following what was perhaps the bloodiest
holocaust in the history of the modern
world—President Jinnah declared that
Urdu2 would be the national language of the
newly formed Pakistan. The predominantly
Bengali-speaking residents in the eastern
part of the country mobilized their intellectuals and organized a Language Movement
in a bid to make Bengali the state’s official
language. To this end, on Feb. 21, 1952, a
large group assembled to stage a peaceful
protest. The police were called in and fired
not just tear gas but bullets, as well, killing
several, including four university students.
In 1970, after Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan, it declared February
21 a national holiday—to commemorate
those who had lost their lives, and citizens’
right to speak their mother tongue(s).
Hence was born Language Matyr Day in
Bangladesh and, in 1999, as a tribute to this
vocal (Bangla) effort, International Mother
Language Day, a global celebration of lesser
known or minority languages everywhere,
and a powerful message of the value
and sanctity of one’s mother
tongue or primary language (Pandey, 2010).
“Ekushey February,”3 the Bengali term
for this national celebration of Bangladesh’s
language victory, is a day of poignant “emotional significance” in Bangladesh, “the
only nation in the world to have fought for
and won its independence on the basis of
preserving the right to speak its own language” (Khalid, 2013). Not surprisingly, the
name of the nation echoes this birthright;
Bangla refers to Bengali, the shared “bhasa”
or language, while desh (from Sanskrit, and
inherited in Hindi and other immediate offspring) refers to county or nation.
J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
5
Shaheed Minar (i.e., Freedom Tower or
Symbol), a commemorative memorial that
many now term the Language Movement
Memorial was built in Bangladesh’s capital,
Dhaka, to celebrate this nation’s monumental linguistic victory. It is the site of
multiple language-centered celebrations
every year. For instance, on Feb. 21, 2013,
the richness of Bangla/Bengali is celebrated
through poetry/songs, music, and book
fairs, featuring the art and writing of Nobel
Laurette Rubindardnath Tagore (1913) who
was writing poetry as an eight-year-old in
Calcutta, India, and whose literary and linguistic contributions are known the world
over. Celebrated, too, among other Bengali
literary artists and film-makers are the
inspiring works and close to 4,000 songs of
Kazi Nazrul Islam (dubbed a Rebel poet), a
Bengali-speaking activist in the Indian independence movement. Kazi-ji4 incorporated
the Moghal ghazal style into Bengali music,
yielding a new genre. He was invited by the
government of Bangladesh to spend his final
days in Bangladesh.
Let us turn our attention to the south,
to Africa, where innocent children who
were protecting their right to learn in Zulu
in an apartheid South Africa were massacred. On June 16, 1972, just six years
after the birth of Bangladesh and 24 years
after several of its intellectuals were killed
while fighting for Bangla, some 176 Zuluspeakers—including many children—were
gunned down in Soweto for peaceably protesting the introduction of Afrikaans as the
medium of instruction.
As we pause to think of the sacrifices
these students and many others made—to
ensure that indigenous Africans could hold
6
Shaheed Minar (i.e., Freedom Tower or Symbol), a
commemorative memorial that many now term the
Language Movement Memorial was built in Bangladesh’s
celebrate this nation’s
monumental linguistic victory.
capital, Dhaka, to
on to their language and Bangladeshis could
freely use Bengali, the thread that united her
people—we are reminded of the linguistic
apartheid frequently practiced back then,
in different parts of the world, and how
even today, many peoples are linguistically
imprisoned and/or punished for using their
heritage tongues.
C is for Canada, Cherokee, and
Choctaw; D for Dominican (Republic)
On the other side of the world, namely,
North America, and in Central and South
America, thousands of native American
populations were also forced (by mostly
English and Spanish-speaking colonists) to
stop speaking their languages or risk being
physically assaulted or killed. Some 20
years earlier, in October, 1937, for instance,
Dominican President Trujillo (known also
as El Presidente, El Jefe or the Boss) ordered
the mass execution of an estimated 20,000
to 30,000 Haitians in a five-day period now
termed the Parsley Massacre, one of the worst
cases of linguistic warfare and genocide
known to date. Those who could not pronounce the Spanish term for parsley (perejil)
to his soldiers’ satisfaction were assumed
NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
to be Haitian, and promptly put to death
(Dove, 1983).
Throughout North America, from
Canada, to the U.S.A., and Mexico, many
languages—and their associated cultural
capital, including the Cherokee’s printing
press—were confiscated, and their language rights seized or violated. Hundreds
of indigenous languages were endangered
almost overnight. Over half of the native
American languages in use in 1492, for
instance, have vanished. While an estimated 90% of Cherokees were literate by
1830—in the sophisticated syllabary that
was widely used in pre-colonial America for
over 100 years—fewer than half were literate 100 years later. Similarly, in Mexico,
while an estimated 60% of Mexicans spoke
an indigenous language in 1820, only a
mere six percent could do so by the end
of the 1900s (Sánchez, 2011). Ten years
ago, the government of Mexico finally recognized the need to protect its indigenous
languages. Some argue that these belated
advocacy efforts (e.g., by the National
Institute of Indigenous Languages) are too
little and too late.
In the case of German and other-language speakers in post World War I-U.S.A.,
if one did not speak just English, one risked
being fined up to $25 (Pandey, 2012) or
being beaten or thrown down the stairs. In
an interview on Miz.Communication.com
(a Memphis-based cable TV show) commemorating native American languages
and cultural beliefs, storyteller and magician Autumn Morning Star5 shared how
her grandfather was beaten for using his
language, and how her grandmother safeguarded “the magic words” and “whispered”
them to her in her childhood, igniting in
her a passion for Chocktaw and Blackfoot,
also termed Siksika (ᓱᖽᐧᖿ), and the cultural
secrets embodied in these heritage codes.
In Puerto Rico, Taino Indians and their
language(s) were quickly exterminated and
replaced with Spanish. One wonders if the
coqui, the island’s verde frog that legend says
pours its heart out for its lost love, sings an
ode to her people, who have been silenced
forever. When the U.S. imposed English
on its newly acquired colonies, including
Puerto Rico, Hawai’i and the Philippines,
educational failure was inevitable; for
example, in Puerto Rico alone, an estimated
84% of children dropped out by third grade
(Crawford, 1999, qtd. in Pandey, 2012).
E is for English & Enough English!
(or not Only English)
To the north (in Canada) and down south,
all the way from Africa to Australia, the
colonists forced their language, most often
English, on indigenous populations. Native
children were frequently kidnapped from
their families in Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand—in the guise of so-called attempts
to “civilize” and “educate.” The forced use
of English alone in many religious schools,
as in the case of Australia (see Rabbit-Proof
Fence, 2002), and lack of tolerance for other
languages is a classic example of linguistic
dictatorship. The continued use of such
practices in immigrant nations like the U.S.,
where nobody can lay claim to the land—or
to a single language—reminds us of our
primary responsibility to our children. The
right to use any language(s) one chooses to
is a basic entitlement (i.e., freedom) every
individual should be permitted to enjoy,
particularly since the U.S. Constitution does
not single out any one language as the official or national language. Denying students
access to their (home) language, as we know,
only prompts underachievement or educational failure. Not surprisingly, by 1969,
approximately 75% of Cherokee children
had dropped out of school (Pandey, 2012).
Even today, in Africa and elsewhere, students are frequently reprimanded for using
the “vernacular,” as it is termed. I recall how
my classmates in S. West Nigeria would be
fined up to 25 kobo every time they were
caught speaking “Yoruba” and “Pidgin.”
Such policies not only wipe out languages,
they destroy entire cultures and civilizations
and send the (questionable) message that
other languages—and cultures—are unimportant. Ironically, racial minorities are some
of the firmest opponents of minority dialects
and languages. This is hardly surprising,
given that many have negative labels like
“non-Standard English” that suggest that
they are somehow lower in status (see Kiley,
2013; Pandey, 2013, 2005), prompting
many to distance themselves from these
varieties.
Ignoring or putting an end to use of the
mother tongue could cause other problems,
including:
◗◗
◗◗
Misdiagnosis and
undue pressure on the part of students
who speak other languages to perform
in English-dominant or English-only
schools.
These often result in low self-esteem or
identity crises, and generally lead to a high
drop out rate—all of which bode badly for a
nation with a predominantly-aging population that is dependant on this generation.
More often than not, second dialect
speakers and dual language learners/DLLs
are assumed to have special needs. This is
an example of misdiagnosis. Some children might conform to or display traits
commonly associated with specific “special needs.” Not long ago, the Washington
Hispanic (Aug. 26, 2011 issue) reported a
case of misdiagnosis in Arlington County,
VA, considered one of the best school districts in the country. In 2011, this school
district apparently spent over $18K per
child. The story was titled “Mis hijos no
son retardados” (i.e., My children are
not retarded).
When you cut out the mother tongue—
in a bid to supposedly accelerate mastery of
English or another “second” language, you
end up with catastrophes, as in Arizona.
In this English-only state, “English language learners,” as these students are often
described—arguably an ideologically loaded
term which elevates and prioritizes just
English—students in whose homes English
is not the primary language are forced to
take four hours of English a day. Arizona’s
goal is to transition these students to just
English as quickly as possible (i.e., to essentially eliminate the home language), typically within a year, or two at most—when,
in fact, research shows that students need a
minimum of five years (and ideally seven)
to master academic language. One student
described this approach as “four times 0.”
Contrast this with pre-World War-USA
which successfully provided other-language
or bilingual education to her children—and
that too, in multiple languages—all across
the country. We must make every effort to
stop failing our children. Use of the home
language and a systematic, math-andscience-facilitative language-building-blocks
approach (Pandey, 2012) could be just the
solution needed.
H is for Hindi (हिन्दी) and I for India
In India, home to some 800 languages, for
example, English, one of the two official
languages is frequently emphasized over
and above Hindi in (reading-writing-based)
schooling and other literacy venues, as
depicted in the Bollywood movie EnglishVinglish (Shinde, 2012). Interestingly ever
since the advent of corporate American
outsourcing, print-based advertising in
India has begun to pump a new brand of
English, namely, American English—and
American products—in India’s bazaars, malls
(that house American “maal,” the Hindi
term for high-priced—mostly U.S. products—in demand), restaurants, and homes
(Pandey, forthcoming). Ironically, Sanskrit,
the mother language of Hindi—and also
of Latin and Greek from which English
eventually sprung—donated to English the
numbers zero (0) through nine (9),6 the basis
of math and science and hundreds of key
words still used today, including sugar, and
identity-signifying terms like name (from
naam(a)), atma, kismet, mother/mata, and
father/pita (Pandey, 2012). Yet, today, the
globalizing and/or so-called modernizing
role and functions of English—bringing
India closer to outsourcing and other international opportunities—and the U.S. closer
to the world’s largest middle class (estimated
at 250 million and rapidly growing) explains
why even spoken Hindi is now being
marketed through the written medium of
English (Pandey & Scott, 2013). An example follows.
A McDonald’s (print) ad in India shows
four beverages (two fruit-based, alongside a
frappé mocha and a frappé caramel). Next to
them is the following courtship or date-like
invite “Hamaari treat. McDonald’s aaye aur
enjoy kare.” Below this appears the distinctively French word McCafé7 and the logo
“I’m lovin’ it” beneath the infamous yellow
arches. The English renditions of the following collaboration-stipulating and invitational
spoken Hindi words: hamaari, aaye, aur and
kare (our, come on over, and, and let’s), as
J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
7
opposed to their original Devangari versions
(हमारी आये और करे) is noteworthy. At
least two reasons account for the use of just
Roman script in this ad:
i. a purposeful attempt to appeal to or cap-
ture the interest of the English-dominant
Indian youth, an increasing number of
whom can speak but cannot flawlessly
read or write written Hindi, and
ii. the use of English and English-like
Hindi is a linguistic indicator of globalization and the place of English as the
default tongue and script of international
items or things pardesi (i.e., not desi or
Indian) in India—which are elevated
linguistically and more highly priced and
valued.
A third possible reason for this could be
its cross-religious and cross-national sell-ability or functionality, so-to-speak. For example, in neighboring Pakistan, where Urdu
is spoken—or even in India where Urdu
and Hindi co-exist, since spoken Hindi and
Urdu are very similar, the use of English
script fro both languages would widen the
market and cater to both Hindi and Urducomprehending or speaking audiences.
For Indians everywhere, English-Vinglish
was one of the first Bollywood movies
to creatively mix devanagari and English
scripts (and not just the spoken forms) and,
more importantly, to put them on the same
level in a constitutionally bilingual nation,
which has lately been depicted as a land of
global—or should I say “globalized” opportunities (Pandey, 2011). This is a monumental linguistic feat and a welcome symbolic
gesture in what is arguably a hyper-globalized multilingual landscape—one in which
the words “treat” and “enjoy” are relative
newcomers, since Indian hospitality means
that treats are commonplace. McDonald’s
attempt to reciprocate (this don’t-ask, just
invite and share form of hospitality) by
extending a “treat” to Indians sells. When
we consider the fact that the equivalent
terms for “enjoy” in most Indian languages
are negative and connote laziness and undue
wastage, Oppa Gangnum style (i.e., the kind
associated with the rich and famous or
spoiled), we can be sure the English word
“enjoy” is inviting.
8
Perspectives from the North,
Sud (Spanish), Occidente (West/
Italian), & पूरव
् (East/Hindi)
Politics and language rights aside, each
language variety weilds social significance
within its realm of use. Indeed, every communicative medium has its treasures—special terms, unique gestures, and hard-totranslate or non-translatable meanings (see
Pandey, 2012) for concepts considered
sacred or important in each culture, as outlined in Table 1.
We must develop in our children a
keen sense of curiosity that prompts them
to want to discover these special gifts languages encapsulate. What better way to
inventory or capture culture, for instance,
than to map variations and differences in
language use? Yet, many teachers, administrators, and policy makers continue to
denigrate (individuals’) languages and to
demoralize and fail thousands of students—
all across the United States.
Cultural & Language
Enhancement: Sample
Classroom Prompts
To learn, students have to feel comfortable
and welcome. A common language bridges
cultural, gender, geographic, racial, social
class, and other divides. Conscious integration of other languages in the classroom and
through out-of-class language and culturalinfusion projects is not merely advisable but
essential, since the home language is the
best way to bridge the school house and
the home. Inviting students and families to
share fables, family stories (which they could
bilingualize using their creativity), paired
hand counting and jump rope (also termed
“skipping”) and group songs, rhymes, and
birthday songs in other languages are other
ideas. Teachers could explore the possibility
of loaning families a camcorder for a day
and/or assigning tasks that involve digital
clips from smart phones to which families
have access. Examine what you get back,
or random segments, and use these to create family portfolios, supplementing other
assessment tools you use to monitor student
progress. Displaying children’s and staff
members’ names in different languages/
scripts at children’s desks or on class doors,
in the hallway and in other visible spaces at
school also sends a loud and clear message—
that all are welcome.
NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
Additional collaborative classroom activities that would simultaneously connect the
home and school house follow:
1. Invite your students and their families to
create an alphabetic book of languages
spoken or used at their school or in their
neighborhood. They could make a book
of languages for each continent or include
a representative listing of languages (and
dialects) from different geographic areas.
This could be a cross-grade activity, with
age-appropriate tasks for each student.
Students could also include—in this book
or another—key words and or expressions
in each language they inventory (e.g.,
common greetings, apologies, and ways
of expressing gratitude, and sympathy).
You could invite them to share copies
with their families and administration, as
well as in the form of a newsletter or with
Perspectives and other media outlets that
would further validate and publicize their
work (with the world) and garner feedback that they could use to revise, edit,
and expand (e.g.,languagebuildingblocks.
com). The number of languages students list and/or the artwork or layout/
organization could determine the prizes
received. In other words, adding a competitive twist or incentive will very likely
further motivate students. They could
collaborate on the illustrations/artwork,
as well, and use technology tools to create
the finished product. This could then be
collectively edited (another language-andliteracy-enhancing task) and uploaded
on the school’s Website and/or other sites
or venues, so that students and families
would feel validated and take greater pride
in their work. Schools could compare
language notes and publicize the number
of languages (recorded) in use on their
premises. Those that record the largest
number of languages, for instance, could
label themselves or be labeled as the (2nd)
Most International School in 2013, or
some such. On February 21 or on another
date designated as “Language Awareness
Day/Week/Month, students could wear
ribbons coinciding with the number of
languages or language families at their
school. They could wear accessories (e.g.,
ties, belts, headbands), and clothing (e.g.,
multilingual t-shirts or polo shirts they
design) sporting diverse language scripts.
These forms of public awareness and
Table 1: Examples of Linguistic Treasures
Language
Treasure: Form, Term or Expression,
& Significance
Closest Translation &/or Example
Sanskrit & its immediate
offspring (Hindi, Punjabi,
Gujarati)
Swastika: nonverbal & visual: auspicious blessing
Mark (tikka) of health (swast) in the four directions of
the world
Yoruba
Prostrate/Prostration: Nonverbal greeting by males
& female bowing.
Greeting; communicates respect for elders.
E ku ile (spoken): ile = home/house
Asko; “a cheeky response to a question one finds
unnecessary or insulting; it’s like saying, “are
you asking me that” or “who are you to ask that
question?” (Ibid).
“greeting extended to an older adult or group of
people you meet at home” (Oluseyi Emiola, personal
communication).
Maori
Noses make contact (via a quick rub or touch)
Conventional meet-and-greet for one’s fanau (i.e.,
family, non-biological, too)
Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati &
other N. Indian languages
Touching the feet of an elder or person in a
position of power (generally by those young(er):
nonverbal
Respect marker and greeting or leave-taking
expression. Term: paer choona (Hindi) or Gujarati pagge
lago —touch/hug or literally fall on the feet).
Arabic: subsequently borrowed into Urdu & many
other languages
Haraam(i)
Unclean animal (e.g., pig) and/or person
Hindi & Urdu
Paap(i); many instinctively touch the books or
people they unintentionally disrespected (through
their nonverbal behavior) and then touch their
foreheads to express their reverence and elevate
them—much like the holy trinity gesture
Punishment-conducive/sinful; e.g., Desecrating books
by placing them on the floor or touching them with
your feet—symbolically demoting them or lowering
their value.
Japanese
kyoikumama
Mothers who push their children to excel in school,
expecting perfect scores/grades
Mandarin
Use of numbers to convey added meanings; e.g.,
8, 10, or “We sold one hundred & sixty-eight hogs”
(Pandey, forthcoming).
Rhymes in this tonal language with the word for good
fortune/luck, & definite (go), respectively.
Hebrew
Dafka/davka
Multiple meanings, including “between thine eyes”
(classical), “in your face!” (modern slang), in spite of,
and an apology or recognition of an unintentionality
act(ion).
Ibo
Heleo
an expression of sadness or sorrow, like Nigerian
English “Wonderful!”
Shona
Pamusoroyi
“You say this when you are about to eat, it’s like saying
excuse me as a form of respect” (Vanessa Mbedzi,
personal communication) Nigerian Pidgin
Dash (from Portuguese)
Expected gift/bribe (noun & verb)
How far?
“greeting used among friends to enquire after their
welfare, like “how are you doing?” (Oluseyi Emiola)
Kpelleh/Guerze/Kpese
Kumanlee
Multifunctional: means “hello, how you doing? what
is wrong with you? or why are you so sad?” and “It can
even be used to ask a question” (Morrinah Kwekeh,
personal communication).
Venda
langa
(to) control
J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
9
recognition of multiple languages would
further inspire students to take pride in
their/other languages (i.e., languages they
understand, speak or wish to learn).
2. Invite students to interview at least two
speakers of other languages and to share
two to three words, expressions or gestures that do not have an exact equivalent in English (see Table 1—which you
could invite students to extend), and to
share what they learned from this experience. It’s a good idea to ask them to
provide their contacts’ contact information—for clarification purposes.
3. Invite students to research favorite yet
diverse foods and/or musical genres featuring different languages or a mix of
languages (e.g., bhangra, bharatanyatam,
chiac, ghazal, popular Bollywood, khattak, salsa, makossa, AfroBeat (pioneered
by Fela Kuti), juju (created by King
Sunny Ade), Taraab, Chaabi, Gnawa,
Griha (Moroccon genres), soukous
(African/Congolese rumba), Bango,
Coptic, Maloya, and Sega.zouk, and so
on) that their peers and/or peers’ families
periodically or frequently access and to
create a multimedia food book or musical (language) fusion theater project that
captures diverse senses, including sounds,
instruments, and languages/voices. They
could then share—verbally or via a
reflective write-up, or a combination—
what they learned from this exercise.
4. Invite students to co-construct content-
specific or age-appropriate stories
containing words from more than two
language varieties. They could string
together rhyming words—with each
student supplying a word that phonemically and semantically extends the story
line—in haiku mode. An example could
be Hola bola Kola: Beyond Goa, a Dr.
Seuss style story which borrows a word
from Spanish, Hindi/Urdu, and Yoruba,
respectively, and translates to “Hello,”
Said Kola. The class could collectively
pick the title and/or change it to, for
example, Kola bola “hola!” and discuss
how word order is flexible in Hindi
and Urdu, the host language(s). Such
conscious cross-language comparisons
would serve to further reinforce students’
vocabulary, grammar, and intercultural
skills (i.e., beyond Standard English).
10
Directions for Future Research &
Concluding Remarks
The projects proposed above could be
combined. Projects like these are bound to
enhance students’ inquiry/researching and
their peer and community-collaboration
skills, among others—specifically their crosscultural and language awareness or knowhow. At the very least, students and teachers
will come away with a greater appreciation
for diversity. In turn, language researchers
could monitor the impact of these and other
multilingual or language-valorizing activities
on students’ academic achievement and interpersonal relationships. They could design and
test other language-enhancing studies on, for
instance, the impact of cross-language reading
strategies on all students’ reading comprehension skills and scores (see Pandey, 2012 for
additional research projects).
All we have to really want is to get to
know our students (Bell, 2012). This means
taking an interest in their home language(s).
Success—in interpersonal skills, vocabulary,
math, science, health literacy, intercultural
know-how, and a whole lot more—will follow. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights reminds us that “All human
beings are born free and equal in dignity
and rights … and should act towards one
another in a spirit of brotherhood.” When
we deny a person their language, we take
away their voice. We must excite and ignite
critical thinking—artful, culture-specific,
variegated, and unparalleled. Only then
can we say we are truly global—and at least
6000 voices richer, louder, and stronger. ★
References
Bell, D. (2012). Resource Guide to Language Building Blocks.
New York: Teachers College Press, p.5. Retrieved from
http://www.tcpress.com/pdfs/9780807753552_supp.pdf
Khalid, F. (2013). On Feb. 21, Bangladeshis Have Good
Cause to Celebrate Int’l Mother Language Day. Retrieved
Feb. 21 from http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/feb-21bangladeshis-have-good-cause-celebrate-intl-motherlanguage-day.
Kiley, A. (2013). Expert: Considering Students’ Home
Language Could Help School Performance. Milwaukee
Public Radio Interview Archive. Retrieved March 20
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/lake_
effect_segment.php?segmentid=10250
Dove, R. (1983). Parsley. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon
University Press.
Grinevald, C. (2007). Endangered Languages of Mexico and
Central America. In Endangered Languages, Brenzinger,
Matthias (Ed). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 50-86.
Pandey, Anita. (forthcoming). “When “Second” Comes First—
हिंदी to the Eye?: Sociolinguistic Hybridity in Professional
Writing”[Invited chapter] In Writing as Translingual Practice
in Academic Contexts: Premises, Pedagogy, Policy, edited by
S. Canagarajah. New York: Routledge.
_________. (2013). Using mother tongue as building blocks
in education. ACEI Radio Interview. Feb. Retrieved March
NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
23 from http://acei.org/news-publications/acei-radio.html
_________ & Scott, C. (2013). Race to the Future by . . .
Worshipping Your Stomach?: Ethicality and Corporate
Communication Strategies. Proceedings of the 2013 ABC
Conference.
_________. (2011). Editor’s Introduction, Professional
Communication in the Age of Outsourcing. International
Journal of Communication, 21/1: 1-4.Critical Inquiry in
Language Studies: an International Journal, Vol. 2 (1). pp.
35-69.
_________. (2010). The Child Language Teacher:
Intergenerational Language and Literary
Enhancement. Manasagangothri, Mysore: Central
Institute of Indian Languages. 405pp.
_________. (2005). A Cyber Stepshow: E-Discourse and
Literacy at an HBCU.” Critical Inquiry in Language Studies:
an International Journal, Vol. 2 (1). pp. 35-69.
_________. (2002). Director & Host. Miz.Communication.
com, Episode 2. September 2001, Memphis cable TV
show, channel 17.
Sánchez, L. (2011). Mexican Indigenous Languages at the
Dawn of the Twenty-First Century edited by Margarita
Hidalgo. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 15: 422–425.
Shinde, G. (2012). English-Vinglish. Retrieved on Feb. 12:
http://englishvinglishacademy.com/
Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2000). Linguistic genocide in
education—or worldwide diversity and human rights?
New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Endnotes
1.“Yes” in multiple languages. Invite students to guess or
research the source languages.
2. Urdu is very similar to Hindi in the spoken form (see Pandey,
2012). Ironically, it is an artful mix of spoken Hindi, Arabic,
Persian and Turkish, and reflects the multiple linguistic
influences in the region and the cultural syncretism that
defines the Indian subcontinent, specifically northern India
and Pakistan today—starting with King Bharat and Ashoka’s
language, through the language of the Delhi Sulanate and
the Mughal/Moghul Empire.
3.Incidentally, Ekuse,” a Yoruba word, is pronounced
similarly and translates to the applause “Well done!” or
Congratulations).
4.–ji is an honorific particle appended to the end of names
in many Indian languages, including Bengali, Hindi,
Punjabi, and Urdu.
5.She is one of fifty Native Americans profiled by the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
6. These (Indian) numbers were eventually introduced to
the Western world through the Arabs—hence the label
“Arabic numerals.”
7. The Frenchified spellings are noteworthy—very likely
intended to give these “treats” a touch of class and
increase their perceived fancifulness or upper-class-ness
(hence the high price tag).
Anita Pandey is professor and Coordinator of
Professional Writing at Morgan State
University. She was born and raised in
Africa—home to two-thirds of the world’s
languages. During her childhood years, her
family was constantly on the move, so she
developed a passion for language(s) early on.
She picked up Hindi, English, Yoruba, Hausa,
and Nigerian Pidgin in her childhood, and
learned French and Spanish as a teenager—
primarily from children. This is the subject
of her first book, The Child Language Teacher:
Intergenerational Language and Literary
Enhancement (Mysore: CIIL) which demonstrates the value of sustained family and community engagements. Her most recent book
is titled Language Building Blocks: Essential
Linguistics for Early Childhood Educators
(Early Childhood Education Series) from
Teachers College Press http://store.tcpress.
com/0807753556.shtml.
Asian and Pacific Islander
Asian Parents’
Perceptions Toward
Bilingual Education
Fay Shin, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach
Would Korean, Hmong and Chinese parents of English language learners
want their child to be in a classroom where the primary language is being
used for instruction? The major controversy regarding the education of
our English language learners has traditionally centered on the language
and methodology used for instruction. Parent involvement in bilingual
education has become both a state and a federal mandate and one which
is supported by both legislation and court action. However, parents
should always be considered as a major source or foundation for
bilingual programs in our public schools.
In addition, most of the research on
English language learners (ELL’s) are from
Hispanic backgrounds (Genessee, 2006).
There is a need for research on the development of ELL’s from other major ethnolinguistic groups in the United States.
Vietnamese, Hmong, Chinese, and Korean
students need to be examined because
they are the next most populous groups of
minority students in the U.S.
Parents have always been crucial in the
implementation and maintenance of duallanguage programs (Gandara & Hopkins,
2010). Parents of immigrant children have
important roles in second language acquisition, since the first language proficiency
will become the foundation on which the
second language structure will be built for
their children. Furthermore, parental attitudes about the majority culture also affect
children’s achievement in the learning of
the majority language, and of the majority
culture. The use of the native language at
home by parents and other family members
has proven to be crucial in students’ development of English literacy and preparation
for school life (Nieto, 1992). Golub and
Prewitt-Diaz (1981) found that teachers
were not successfully communicating the
values, methods, and outcomes of bilingual
education to parents.
This study was a synthesis of the findings of three studies investigating whether
Hmong, Chinese and Korean parents agreed
with the rationale for bilingual education and if they approved of having their
children in a bilingual classroom. These
studies were unique in that they were done
in the context of a theoretical model, and
specifically assessed parent opinions of the
main theoretical foundations of bilingual
education.
The research questions were: Do Korean,
Hmong and Chinese parents approve of
placing their children in a bilingual classroom? Do Korean, Hmong and Chinese
parents agree with the underlying principles
and rationale for bilingual education?
Subjects
The sample consisted of 256 Korean parents, 100 Hmong parents and 10 Chinese
parents, in California. The Chinese parent study is forthcoming. Preliminary data
from the Chinese parents will be discussed.
All the parents participating in this study
have children in an elementary school. The
demographics of the parents varied widely.
The majority of the Chinese and Korean
parents were highly educated (over 65% had
college or graduate/professional degrees) and
only a minority of the Hmong parents had
college degrees (20%).
Methodology
The survey was developed by Shin and Kim
(1998) in English and translated into the
primary languages (Korean and Hmong).
The Chinese parent interviews were conducted in English. The survey consisted of
27 questions including demographic information as well as parents’ perceptions and
attitudes toward bilingual education. The
demographic questions include the length
of residency in the United States, the educational level, the socio-economic status, parents’ English proficiency, the language used
at home and whether their child is enrolled
in an English Language Development program. The questions address parents’ perceptions and attitudes toward the principles of
bilingual education.
Responses were measured using Likert
scale questions with options of strongly
J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
11
agree, not sure, and strongly disagree. The
surveys were distributed mostly by classroom
teachers to Korean parents via students
in the classroom (70% return rate). The
Hmong surveys were distributed through
both the classrooms and local community
organizations (40% return rate). A brief letter explaining the importance and the purpose of the study was distributed along with
the survey. These surveys were voluntary and
anonymous. It was collected in the similar
manner, parents to students and students to
classroom teachers.
Results and Discussion
The results showed mixed results for the
first three principles: bilingual education
allows children to keep up in subject matter
while acquiring English, developing literacy
in the primary language is necessary in order
to facilitate the acquisition in English, and
learning subject matter through the first
language helps make subject matter study
in English more comprehensible. However,
more than fifty percent of the parents agreed
that developing literacy in the primary language is important to facilitate the acquisition in English.
There was very strong support for the last
three principles and advantages of bilingualism. An average of 90% of all the Korean and
Chinese parents surveyed agreed that bilingualism can lead to practical, career related
advantages, results in superior cognitive
development (benefits our intelligence), and
was necessary to maintain primary language
12
and culture. This shows that parents are aware
and supportive of the advantages of being
bilingual, and the importance they place on
keeping their primary language and culture.
The majority of the parents indicated
that they would place their child in a
bilingual program if their child was not
proficient in English. Seventy percent of
Korean parents, 80% of the Chinese parents and 60% of Hmong parents said “yes,”
although some parents indicated they were
not sure. Only a small minority actually
said they would not place their child in a
bilingual classroom.
Findings and Conclusions
The findings of these studies show that there
is considerable support for the underlying
principles of bilingual education, and only
a minority actually opposes placing their
children in bilingual education programs.
They show a very strong understanding and
belief that bilingualism and primary language maintenance is important and advantageous. Over half of the respondents also
showed an understanding and approval that
literacy transfers. In addition, the findings of
this study are consistent with other studies
(Gandara & Hopkins, 2010; Hakuta, 1983;
Shin & Gribbons, 1996).
The fact that these studies involved
parents with different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, gives us more confidence about our conclusions. These studies
showed that there was powerful support for
the rationale for the advantages of bilingualism and maintenance of the primary
language culture, and mixed results for the
early principles. The majority of the Korean,
Chinese and Hmong parents indicated that
they would want their children in a bilingual classroom. It is clear from these results
that Korean, Hmong, and Chinese parents
showed support and strong opinions toward
placing their children in a bilingual program
and for the rationale for bilingual education.
However, if parents are opposed to placing their child in a bilingual classroom, we
need to consider many factors. Sometimes
parents are misinformed about the program
and its goals (we often hear: “I want my
child to learn English”), and more often we
hear from the very vocal parents which we
assume is the voice of all parents
Several other studies by Nguyen & Shin
(2001) and Shin and Lee (1996) investigated 588 Vietnamese and 100 Hmong
NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
elementary and middle school students’
attitudes toward their heritage language and
culture. These studies indicated positive attitudes toward heritage language and culture.
The results also found positive relationships
between attitudes and academic achievement
among middle school Vietnamese students.
Many parents who enrolled their child in a
bilingual classroom, tended to be very satisfied with the program, and were more likely
to support bilingual education (Shin and
Kim, 1998).
In conclusion, parents have an important
role in promoting literacy and language in
the home and much more research on Asian
parents’ language and literacy practices is
needed. The fact that new dual language
programs are opening across the nation
suggests that interest continues to grow for
bilingual programs. ★
References
Gandara, P. & Hopkins, M. 2010. Forbidden Language: English
Learners and Restrictive Language Policies., New York, NY:
Teachers College Columbia University
Genesee, F., Lindhom-Leary, K., Saunders, W. & Christian, D.
2006. Educating English Language Learners: A Synthesis of
Research Evidence. Cambridge, NY: Cambridge University
Press.
Golub and Prewitt-Diaz (1981). The Impact of a Bilingual
Education Program as Perceived by Hispanic and NonHispanic Teachers, Parents, and Students. Journal of
Instructional Psychology 8, 50-55.
Hakuta, K. (1983). Bilingual Education in the Public Eye: A
Case Study of New Haven, CN. NABE Journal 9, 53-76.
Nguyen, A., Shin, F. and Krashen, S. (2001). “Development
of the first language is not a barrier to second language
acquisition: Evidence from Vietnamese immigrants to the
United States” International Journal of Bilingual Education
and Bilingualism.
Shin, F. (2000). Parent attitudes toward the principles of
bilingual education and their children’s participation in
bilingual programs. Journal of Intercultural Studies.
21 (1). 93-99.
Shin, F. and Gribbons, B. (1996). “Hispanic Parent
Perceptions and Attitudes of Bilingual Education.” The
Journal of Mexican American Educators. 16-22.
Shin, F. and Kim, S. (1998). “Korean Parent Perceptions and
Attitudes toward
Bilingual Education.” Current Issues in Asian and Pacific
American Education. Endo, R., Park, C., Tsuchida, J. and
Agbayani, A. (Editors). Pacific Asian Press of Covina, CA.
Shin, F. and Lee, B. (1996). “Hmong parents and students:
What do they think about bilingual education?” Pacific
Educational Research Journal. 8(1), 65-71.
Dr. Fay Shin is a Professor of ELD, literacy,
and bilingual education at California State
University, Long Beach and the coordinator of
the Asian Bilingual Authorization Credential
Program. She co-authored a book with Dr.
Stephen Krashen, Summer Reading: Program
and Evidence, and developed an ESL–Science
program, Journeys-ESL/ELA in the Content Area:
Science, which is being used nationwide.
Duncan Tonatiuh’s Pancho Rabbit
and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
Reviewed by: Ellen Riojas Clark, Ph. D. & Melony Davis, 5th grader
A lovely book for all, young and old, for all
generations in the USA, for all ethnic groups,
for literary and artistic types, this is a good
all around book. It is written for 6 - 9 year
olds but I loved it as did 10-year-old Melony,
a fifth grader at Poe Elementary School in
Houston, Texas. It is the story of many of the
children in our schools whose families have
traveled to the North in search of a better
life. It is the story of all the struggles suffered
by these families in their quest through the
fable of rabbits and coyotes. What also captivated my granddaughter and I was the artwork that so dramatically portrayed the story
as Melony commented, “the drawings are
very good.” The illustrations are not only colorful but also reminiscent of the codices and
are done by the talented bilingual and bicultural, Duncan Tonatiuh, the author and the
illustrator. A prize winning author, Tonatiuh
also wrote two other children’s books Diego
Rivera: His World and Ours in 2011 and Dear
Primo: a Letter to my Cousin in 2010.
We decided to do a joint book review
since the voice of the child reader is never
included in a review or as Melony put it: “It
is written for us, so we should say if we like
it or not.” And Melony liked the book very
much as did other young children to whom
we read the story to hear their reactions.
In this lovely picture book, Pancho
Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale by
Duncan Tonatiuh, just out this May 2013,
the child rabbit is awaiting the return of
his father who has gone to the US to work.
The family has a party to celebrate the
return of the father with typical food and
decorations such as papel picado. The fiesta
shows animals as musicians playing instruments such as a guitar, a bajo, and an accordion. When he does not return, Pancho,
the boy rabbit then sets out to search for
his father, packing all his favorite foods, the
mole, the beans and rice, such a poignant
scene. We liked the illustrations of chilies,
corn, onions, tortillas, and avocados, the
staples of our food, though aguamiel was not
as well known by us. The drawings of the
metate, the comal, the tortilla press, and the
ollas were realistic and are recognizable parts
of our culture.
The metaphor of the coyote is made
even more dramatic as he wants to eat
Pancho because he is still hungry even after
eating all of the food brought by Pancho.
Melony liked the illustration on that page “I
like how it shows the mole still on the coyote
face.” The glossary presents the two definitions of a coyote- the animal and the person
who is paid to take the immigrants across
the border. The illustrations as well as the
story reflect the dangers of going through
the desert and crossing over into the US.
I thought Melony’s comment regarding the following was interesting and we
checked it out: “Kids won’t understand
this line ‘junked on the riverbank.’ Adults
understood the line but kids didn’t understand ‘junked.’ She liked the humor such as
when the mother comments in the very last
line: “Lets hope it rains, said Mama.” After
the father says he might have to leave again
if there are few crops due to a drought.
For those of us who have not had to face
these struggles, the story provokes empathy
and understanding for those children who
have undergone such experiences. The book
provides the opportunity for all children,
parents, and teachers to talk about a situation
that is real for so many. The epilogue in the
book is based on the Author’s Notes that end
with dismal statistics: “there are an estimated
1.5 million undocumented children in the US
(2011) and 5.5. million children of undocumented immigrants in US schools (2008).
We both agree with Tonatiuh”s last statement
“… that a lot of these children will relate to
Pancho Rabbit” as we did with this book. ★
About the reviewers:
Melony and Dr. Clark.
Melony loves drawing, acting, and creating
so she competes in Odyssey of the Mind, sells
Girl Scouts cookies, and sings in choir. Most
often, Melony practices the piano and plays
with her dog.
Dr. Clark is Professor Emeritus in Bicultural
Bilingual Studies at UTSA. Areas of research
and publications are in teacher student identity and efficacy, bilingual education teacher
preparation, and cultural studies.
Address correspondence to Dr. Ellen Riojas
Clark at Ellen.Clark@utsa.edu J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
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Indigenous Bilingual Education
Revitalizing the Aanaar
Saami Language in Finland
Jon Reyhner, Northern Arizona University
Marja-Liisa Olthuis, Suvi Kivelä and Tove Skutnabb-Kangas provide a detailed
study that gives hope to speakers of severely endangered languages. In
Revitalizing Indigenous Language: How to Recreate a Lost Generation
(Multilingual Matters, 2013) they document how the Aanaar Saami (AS) in
Finland, with only about 350 speakers of their language, were able through the
Complementary Aanaar Saami Language Education (CASLE) project from 2009
to 2010 to make significant strides in revitalizing their language. Dr. Olthuis
spearheaded CASLE, Kivelä was a student in the program, and Dr. SkutnabbKangas is an internationally known researcher of indigenous language rights
and revitalization. The AS are part of the estimated 75 to 100 thousand Saami,
most of whom are living today outside their homeland.
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NABE PERSPECTIVES ★ J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3
The “lost generation” of AS in this book’s
title are young adults, age 20-39, too old
to have taken advantage of the first AS
language nest established in 1997 and too
young, because of the suppression of the
AS language in schools and elsewhere, to
have learned it at home as the elder generation did. The CASLE program recruited
17 motivated “young professionals” who
showed language-learning aptitude by
already having learned at least one second
language with a few non-Saami students
in program. Funding was found so that
these 17 participants could be full time
students for one year. For these older students Finnish was used as the language of
instruction in first three courses to provide
basic knowledge of the AS language. The
following nine courses used AS as the language of instruction.
To implement the CASLE project,
possible funding agencies were identified and approached, potential employers for project graduates were identified,
language revitalization efforts worldwide
were researched, motivated students were
recruited that could be full time language
learners for a year, and teaching materials
were developed. By careful selection, the
project had no dropouts and graduates
went on to staff two new AS language
nests opened in 2010 and 2011, multi-age
AS immersion classrooms, and a media
program. The CASLE program provided
the 1600 to 1700 hours needed to learn
everyday language plus the vocabulary of a
student’s chosen profession. Of course to
become a real Master of a language takes
some 20 years.
While the CASLE program was
designed to meet the unique needs of the
Aanaar Saami and utilize available funding, it has several important aspects that
any endangered language community
should seriously consider implementing.
The CASLE experience reinforces what
language activists know about language
nests and Master-Apprentice (M-A)
language revitalization methodologies.
Language nests are described as “backbone
of AS revitalization,” a “gentle environment” for language learning, and “the
strongest possible revitalization method
for children” (pp. 46 & 130). However,
for the students the “M-A training was
experienced as the most beloved part of
CASLE” (p. 80). Twenty-two paid Masters
with 5 to 7 hours training usually worked
with two students at once, and students
had multiple masters. Students were
expected to know the basics of the AS
language before starting M-A activities.
The most common M-A activity was looking at old photos, mostly at the Master’s
house. One Master noted in regard to his
apprentices’ language learning, “Nobody
can deal with it if somebody corrects every
word” (p. 88). After their coursework and
M-A activities such as fishing, CASLE students had a training period, mostly in the
AS language nest or a multi-grade immersion classroom.
Hurtles to AS language revitalization
remain, including providing spaces outside
language nests for young learners to speak
AS. However progress is being made both
with young and older learners. There is now
an AS major at the University of Oulu and
students can graduate with masters degree
in AS. The authors note that severely threatened languages need to accept second language (L2) speakers and anyone willing to
learn the language.
The last quarter of the book is a series of 18
“Info Boxes” written by Skutnabb-Kangas
that are referred to throughout the rest of
the book. She starts with one on criticism of
Sweden’s minority policies and practices and
ends with one on the Saami language and
traditional knowledge. These boxes overview
current international and Finnish research
on language revitalization and indigenous
education.
Many of the indignities the Saami have
faced including being put in boarding
schools and having their language suppressed in Scandinavia are similar to what
has happened to colonized indigenous
people in Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the United States and elsewhere. In their
conclusion the authors note “the reversal of
language shift has affected people’s dignity
and the way they look at the future” for the
better (p. 165). The authors describe many
hurtles, especially the lack of AS teaching
materials, that had to be overcome in developing the CASLE project and offer valuable
insights for anyone interested in language
revitalization on how to overcome them. ★
J A N U A RY – F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 ★ NABE PERSPECTIVES
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