A Presentation by
Miguel G. Mendívil, AEMP/SEL Closing the Achievement Gap Specialist
Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 6
Professional Development Session
2005-2006
( miguel.mendivil@lausd.net
)
323-278-3902

Los Angeles Unified School District
Elementary CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
48.1
20
10
40
30
36.6
11.6
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
71,130
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 22,411
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 130,830
Language Classification
56
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 23,544

Los Angeles Unified School District
Elementary CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100
90
80
70
71.4
63.6
60
50
57.6
40
30
38 37.8
30.4
22.7
20
10
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested
1,897
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
2,393
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested
15,070
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 26,652
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 572
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 590
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 23,956
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District
Middle School CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language
Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
41.8
30.8
28.7
30
20
10
1.7
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
46,175
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 12,256
Limited English EL - Total Tested
Language Classification
53,476
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 47,755

Los Angeles Unified School District
Middle School CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
67.3
52.2
58.6
40
30
31.8
26.6
22.5
20
10
17.2
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested
1,300
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
1,477
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested
10,355
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 18,744
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 339
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 388
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 13,571
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District
High School CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
31.1
41.5
20
10
2
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
38,284
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 9,334
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 36,528
Language Classification
25.3
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 46,082

Los Angeles Unified School District
High School CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
64.7
49.1
59
40
30
30.2
25.8
24.1
20
10
18.1
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested
1,054
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
1,433
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested
8,242
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 16,203
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 295
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 341
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 10,715
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District
Elementary CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
70
60
90
80
50
40
30
20
45.1
60.8
29.1
10
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
71,004
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 22,404
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 130,758
Language Classification
67
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 23,555

Los Angeles Unified School District
Elementary CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
90
80
70
60
83.2
71.3
70.8
28.4
46.7
49.8
50
40
30
20
41.7
10
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested
1,897
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
2,391
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested
15,047
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 26,574
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 571
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 591
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 23,933
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District
Middle School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language
Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
34.1
30
25.5
23.8
20
10
3.5
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
45,566
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 12,156
Limited English EL - Total Tested
Language Classification
52,621
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 47,446

Los Angeles Unified School District
Middle School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
90
80
70
62.2
60
50
40
45.1
48.4
30
25.1
21.7
20 17.4
10.1
10
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested
1,288
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
1,466
EO Fluent White-
Total Tested
10,270
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 18,454
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 335
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 387
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 13,365
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District
High School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language
Classification
100
90
60
50
80
70
40
30
20 16.1
10.3
8.4
10
2.6
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
34,057
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 8,377
Limited English EL - Total Tested
Language Classification
32,240
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 41,534

Los Angeles Unified School District
High School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
36.2
30
24.7
20 17.1
11.6
10
9.1
6.6
3
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 980
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested
1,314
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested
7,427
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 14,420
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 251
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 294
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 9,370
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Elementary CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
38.6
21.8
20
10
9.8
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
2,669
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 2,217
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 14,883
Language Classification
51.8
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 3,183

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Elementary CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
66.6
42.9
36.4
29.4
30
20
10
8.6
27.3
21.8
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 9
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 11
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested 85
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 93
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 33
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 7
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 2,431
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Middle School CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30 25.6
20
15.4
10
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
1,162
1
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 1,059
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 5,230
Language Classification
21.2
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 5,377

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Middle School CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100 100
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20.8
20.7
20
14.8
12.5
10
0
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 2
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 1
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested 53
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 29
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 8
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 1
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 1,068
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
High School CST - ELA 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
29.1
30
19.1
20
10
1.9
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
879
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 862
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 3,247
Language Classification
18.8
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 6,132

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
High School CST - ELA 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or
Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners SEL
100
100
90
80
70
60
50
66.6
40
30
24
20
18.9
11.9
11.1
10
0
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 2
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 3
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested 50
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 42
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 9
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 3
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 770
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Elementary CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
60
50
40
30
20
100
90
80
70
31.5
49.3
24.2
10
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
2,661
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 2,213
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 14,890
Language Classification
59.9
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 3,187

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Elementary CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
66.6
63.7
40 36.5
36.3
31.7
28.6
30
20
14.9
10
0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 9
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 11
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested 85
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 94
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 33
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 7
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 2,422
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

100
90
Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Middle School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language
Classification
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
17.4
10
8.1
1.8
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
1,152
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 1,052
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 5,207
Language Classification
15.5
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 5,373

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
Middle School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20 17
10
0
7.8
3.7
0 0 0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 1
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 1
EO Fluent White-
Total Tested 53
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 27
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 7
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 1
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 1,062
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

100
90
Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
High School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Language Classification
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
7.3
8.6
10
3.1
0
English Only EO - Total Tested
729
Initially Fluent IFEP - Total
Tested 722
Limited English EL - Total
Tested 2,690
Language Classification
7.2
Reclassified RFEP - Total
Tested 5,279

Los Angeles Unified School District, District 6
High School CST - Mathematics 2003-04 English Only EO Scores at Proficient and/or Advanced by Standard English Fluent and Standard English Learners
SEL
100
90
80
70
60
50
50
40
30
20 16.7
10
0
5.6
7.4
4.8
0 0
EO Fluent Asian -
Total Tested 2
EO Fluent Filipino
- Total Tested 3
EO Fluent White -
Total Tested 42
EO Afr.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 36
EO Amer. Ind.
SEL - Total
Tested 6
EO Haw./Sam.
SEL - Total
Tested 3
EO Mex.-Amer.
SEL - Total
Tested 637
EO-Standard English Fluent EO-Standard English Lerners SEL

Language in Communicative Context
PRAGMATICS
The level of language as it functions and is used in a social context.
Language as a Meaning System
Language as a Structured,
Rule-Governed System
SEMANTICS
The level of meaning of individual words and of word relationships in messages
SYNTAX
The level of combination of words into acceptable phrases, clauses, and sentences
MORPHOLOGY
The level of combination of sounds into basic units of meaning (morphemes)
PHONOLOGY
The level of combination of features of sounds into significant speech sounds

DEFICIT PERSPECTIVE
DIALECTOLOGISTS VIEW
DIFFERENCE
THEORIES
CREOLIST HYPOTHESIS
ETHNOLINGUISTIC THEORY

WEST AFRICAN (Niger-Congo) LANGUAGES
THAT INFLUENCED AAL
• Bambara
Ewe
• Fanta
• Fon
• Fula
• Hausa
• Igbo
• Ibibio
• Kimbundu
• Longo
• Mandinka
• Mende
• Twi
• Umbundu
• Wolof
• Yoruba
Source: Turner, Lorenzo “Africanisms In The Gullah Dialect” 1973

Ebonics is the linguistic and paralinguistic features which on a concentric continuum represent the communicative competence of the west African, Caribbean, and the United States slave descendants of African origin.
Williams (1973)

(African American Language) refers to the linguistic and paralinguistic features of the language that represents the communicative competence of the United States slave descendants of African origin.
Adapted from Williams (1973)

Excerpt from: Resolution Issued, Chicago, Illinois, January 3, 1997
 The variety known as “Ebonics.” “African American
Vernacular English” (AAVE), and “Vernacular Black English” and by other names is systematic and rule-governed like all natural speech varieties. In fact, all human linguistic systems... are fundamentally regular. The systematic and expressive nature of the grammar and pronunciation patterns of the African American vernacular has been established by numerous scientific studies over the past thirty years. Characterizations of Ebonics as “slang,”
“mutant,” “lazy,” “defective,” “ungrammatical,” or ‘broken
English” are incorrect and demeaning.

CHARACTERISTIC PHONOLOGICAL FEATURES
OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LANGUAGE
PHONOLOGICAL
VARIABLE
MAINSTREAM
AMERICAN
ENGLISH
DE SK , TE ST , CO LD CONSONANT
CLUSTER
/ TH / SOUND
/ R / SOUND
STRESS PATTERNS
/ L / SOUND
TH IS, TH IN, MOU TH
SISTE R , CA R OL
PO LICE’ , HO TEL’
A L WAYS, MI LL ION
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
LANGUAGE
DES, TES, COL
DIS, TIN, MOU F
SISTA, CA’OL
PO’ LICE, HO’ TEL
A’WAYS, MI’ION

CHARACTERISTIC GRAMMATICAL FEATURES
OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LANGUAGE
LINGUISTIC
VARIABLE
LINKING VARIABLE
POSSESSIVE MARKER
PLURAL MARKER
VERB AGREEMENT
HABITUAL “BE”
MAINSTREAM
AMERICAN
ENGLISH
He is going
John’s cousin
I have five cents
He runs home
She is often at home
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
LANGUAGE
He going
John cousin
I have five cent
He run home
She be at home

Mainstream American English: Irregular Third Person
Singular Plural
I swim you swim he swims we swim you swim they swim
African American Language: Regular Third Person
Singular Plural
I swim we swim you swim he swim you swim they swim

Mainstream American English: Irregular Past Tense
Singular Plural
I was we were you were he was you were they were
African American Language: Regular Past Tense
Singular
I was you was he was
Plural we was you was they was

5-year-old African American Child
 I been known how to count.
 She want to know can she ride her bike.
 She jump rope
 The mother dress
 The mommie purse

This Mestizo (Afro-indo Hispano) population residing in the Southwest United States came into being far before their identification and conquest by the present
North American hegemony of culture. We will then begin at that historical juncture; Texas, 1836.

Southwest US ?

War is declared after the fact.
 Treaty of Guadalupe de Hidalgo 1848 ends the War
 Treaty Guarantees
 title to lands held by Mexicans
 dual citizenship
 bilingual education for all Mexican-Americans and their descendants in perpetuity.

“For myself, I was bitterly opposed to the measure, and to this day regard the War which resulted as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.
It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory.”
Personal Memoirs of U.S.Grant.Webster Pub.1885.
Chapter 3, Army life - Causes of the Mexican War - Camp Salubrity

 Chicano Spanish is first and foremost Mexican Spanish with a number of lexical borrowings from English.
(Sanchez 1994)
 This in no way suggests a definite time in history but an approximate opportunity for the use of Varieties of
Spanish spoken in the Southwest.
 The intersection of:
A. Standard Spanish
B. Popular Urban Spanish
C. Popular Rural Spanish

Loanwords: traques (tracks) dompe, triela, yardas, lotes, plogues, carpetas, waxeaban or mapeaban
With Autos; troca, cranque, cloche, estare, estarear, suiche, puche, parquear, rite, y bos

Articulated:




Shoes were chaineados rather than lustrados
People were fuleados rather than engañados
Housewives paid biles rather than cuentas
Instead of saying se sale la agua they say la llave liquea.
 Chicanos started eating lonches, aiscrin and drinking birria de la grocería o la marqueta while they were wachando la tele or reading el magasín.

 1930-1940 Repatriation Act.
 Legal deportation of Mexicans and their
Mexican American children (and some adult Mexican Americans) back to
Mexico.
 Suspension of dual citizenship and inception of Residency (green) cards for all Mexicans. Mexican Americans had to declare National Sovereignty to either the U.S. or Mexico.

Lemon Grove School District vs
Roberto R. Alvarez
1931

Lemon Grove SD vs Roberto R. Alvarez
1931
“Mexican American children can attend school with whites and could no longer be segregated in San Diego schools.”
Although integrating the schools, it did so by holding that Mexicans American Children were “white” (not Indian) and could not be segregated.
California law continued to allow segregation of whites from Asians, blacks, and Native
Americans.”

Chicanos upon returning from their forced repatriation and joining with the Mexican
American youth in the Barrios of the Southwest together create and speak a language (de nuestro) of ours, which is neither the language of the dominant culture English nor the Spanish of
Mexicans who coined them “Pocho.”

 Y que ondas con las jainas, donde cantonean.

What’s with those girls? Where do they live?
 Orale pues, ‘tonces alli te guacho en tu canton.

Alright, then I’ll see you at your house.

 Referring to girls: Moras, rucas, jainas, chavalas, g üisa
 Ahi nos vidrios.
 Ya estufas.
 Simon. Sirol.
 ¿Qué pasión?
 Loans from English: Chante ( shanty ), songa
( song ), Taya ( tie ), biria ( beer )

“ The Chicano population is a heterogeneous minority characterized by significant differences in generation, nativity, residency, occupation, income, education and language choice.”
(Sanchez, 1994, P.6)
Thus it is impossible to talk about Chicanos of the
Southwest as if they were a homogeneous entity.
(Sanchez, 1994, p60)








 KNOWLEDGE LEVEL : Learn the Information
 Define, list, label, memorize, etc.
 COMPREHENSION LEVEL : Understand the Information
 Express in other terms, illustrate, paraphrase.
 APPLICATION LEVEL : Use the Information
 Demonstrate, construct, convert, generalize.
 ANALYSIS LEVEL : Break the Information Down to its Component Parts
 Analyze, compare, contrast, debate, infer.
 SYNTHESIS LEVEL : Put Information Together in New and Different Ways
 Build, combine, create, imagine, propose.
 EVALUATION LEVEL : Judge the Information
 Assess, defend, critique, rank, verify.
This is not hierarchical, although SEL's tend to do the last three due to their unique Learning style/strength!

For the sake of this discussion Chicano English refers to the variation of language utilized by
English Only speaking Mexican Americans residing in the United States of America.
Yet, we may review the literature by tracing its etymological sequence over 500 years of colonization.

A definition:
The linguistic and paralinguistic features of the language spoken by members of the
Chicano/a or Mexican American community united by ancestry in the Southwestern United
States and/or Mexico. CE is systematic, rule governed, and based on a Spanish substratum.
Adapted from Ornstein-Galicia (1988)

Latin American Spanish vs
Castilian from Spain
Spanish of the ‘new world’ is like Castilian
Spanish of Spain in that they share the same
Syntax while deviating in phonology, morphology, semantics and pragmatics with languages indigenous to the cultures of the Americas.

LF:
Word Final Consonants in Chicano English
The Chicano English phonological rule does not permit the production of consonants in clusters in the following contexts.

When both consonant sounds are voiced: nd,vs,zd ex: CE (mine) ex: CE (lifes) ex: CE (price)
MAE (mind)
MAE (lives)
MAE (prized)

When both consonant sounds are voiceless:st, kt ex: CE (worse) MAE (worst) ex: CE (strick) MAE (strict)

LF: CH / SH Digraph
Merging of the /ch/ and /sh/ digraph
Chicano English is characterized by a unique merging of the ch sound with the sh sound and vice versa.
CE tesher reash wash chy chop share beash
MAE teacher reach watch shy shop chair beach

LF: Stress Patterns
Stress Patterns
In Chicano English Language, stress is often placed on one syllable prefixes as well as roots. The stress on one syllable prefixes and roots is elongated.
CE tooday
MAE today deecide reefuse reepeat reesist decide refuse repeat resist

LF: Regularization, Irregular 3rd person in MAE
Singular
I jump you jump he jumps
Mainstream American English:
He jumps rope to get into shape.
Chicano English:
He jump rope to get into shape .
Plural we jump you jump they jump

Indefinite article
MAE: Irregular Indefinite Article
Before a consonant
A girl
Before a vowel
An umbrella
Chicano English: Regular Indefinite Article
Before a consonant
A girl
Before a vowel
A umbrella
MAE : A girl opened an umbrella when it began to rain.
CE: A girl opened a umbrella when it began to rain.

LF: Omission of Past tense marker
In Chicano English the past tense marker is dropped when forming a separate syllable at the end of a word.
Mainstream American English:
/-t/ following voiceless consonants ex: cooked
/-d/ following voiced consonants ex: moved
/id/ following word final /t/ or /d/ ex: kidded
EX: Mainstream American English: Past Tense
Yesterday he started selling newspapers.
EX: Chicano English: When forming a separate syllable
Yesterday he start selling newspapers.

LF: Omission of plural Marker
Plural Marker
Mainstream American English
/-s/ following voiceless sounds ex : five cents
/-z/ following voiced sounds ex : different foods
/iz/ following “hissing” sounds ex : kisses ditches
Chicano English :
The plural marker /s/ is dropped when forming a separate syllable.
Mainstream American English: ex: She opened one of the packages.
Chicano English : ex: She open one of the package.

LF: Multiple Negation
Mainstream American English: Double negation or multiple negatives are not evident.
Chicano English: Double or multiple negatives are evident.
MAE:
I didn’t have a birthday party or anything.
CE :
I didn’t have no birthday party or noothing.

LF: Semantics/Lexicon (ELA variety)
Use of Intensifiers before adjectives
This intensifier replaces the colloquial use of terrible and very.
Examples: ALL 1. He’s all proud, passing out papers and all.
2. The Movie was all weird.
This intensifier replaces the colloquial use of really or real.
Examples: FOR REALS 1. Did you give it to her for reals?
2. He didn’t know it was for reals.
3. No for reals a, did you sell your car for reals?

LF: Semantics/Lexicon (ELA variety)
This intensifier replaces the colloquial use of timeliness or scarcity.
Examples: BARELY 1. He barely came yesterday.
(Meaning ,”He got her just yesterday.)
2. A, I barely have two pieces a.
(Meaning, “I only have two pieces)

LF: Homophones
Chicano English Language Homophones
Due to the influence of CE phonological rules, many words that are not homophones (words that sound alike but are spelled different) in English are homophonous in CE.
Examples:
MAE find
CE fine
Ex: I fine everting fas teasher.
ten tin
Ex: I jus hab tin cent teasher fuzz f uss
Ex:
He tinks he all bad caus he hab fuss on his face.

 We are all tankful for you coming and teashing us some stuff too.
 Tas after school, no?
 Tank you for giving me dis chance to learn how to speak this language of ar pas tribe.
 Can I no of my culture.
 My feets go that way.
 Why you sistur like it?
 I seen you do it a.

Spanglish
Hay te watcho.
English
I’ll see you later.
Spanish
Nos vemos al rato.
Quiero confleis.
Chatear
I want corn flakes.
On line chatting.
Sammy Sosa se Sammy Sosa hit a hecho homron.
Homerun.
Quiero cereal.
There is currently no
Spanish equivelent.
Sammy Sosa pegó un un cuadrangular.
¿Quieres un jambergue Do you want a hamburger ¿Quieres una hamburun sanguiche para lonche?
or a sandwich for lunch? guesa o torta para el
¿Por que me puchas?
almuerzo?
Why are you pushing me? ¿Por qué me empujas?
¿Donde parqueates el carro? Where did you park the car? ¿Dónde estacionaste el automóvil?

Caló
Balas
Helada
Quehuvo/Quiuvo
Totacho
Gabacho
Bote
Broda
Cachucha
Calcos
Chamba
Estar culeco
Hecho la cochinilla
Kikear
Librería
No se aguite
English Spanish beans beer hello english language frijoles cerveza hola ingles anglo-american (Derog) Anglo-Americano jail carcel brother cap hermano gorro shoes work to be in love
In a hurry to kick library
Don’t get upset.
zapatos trabajo estar enamorado
De prisa.
patear biblioteca
No se enoje.

Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Mexica (Aztec) people of Central
Mexico prior to the Spanish Conquest. Here are some words in Nahuatl translated into English and Spanish. You can see some words in Spanish have been taken directly from Nahuatl.
Nahuatl
Atl
Auakatl
Chocolatl
Elotl
Koyotl
Tomatl
Xochitl
Tekolotl
Tamalli
Chilli
Spanish
Agua
Aguacate
Chocolate
Elote
Coyote
Tomate
Flor
Tecolote
Tamal
Chile
English
Water
Avocado
Chocolate
Corn
Coyote
Tomato
Flower
Owl
Tamale
Chile

 KNOWLEDGE LEVEL : Learn the Information
 Define, list, label, memorize, etc.
 COMPREHENSION LEVEL : Understand the Information
 Express in other terms, illustrate, paraphrase.
 APPLICATION LEVEL : Use the Information
 Demonstrate, construct, convert, generalize.
 ANALYSIS LEVEL : Break the Information Down to its Component Parts
 Analyze, compare, contrast, debate, infer.
 SYNTHESIS LEVEL : Put Information Together in New and Different Ways
 Build, combine, create, imagine, propose.
 EVALUATION LEVEL : Judge the Information
 Assess, defend, critique, rank, verify.
This is not hierarchical, although SEL's tend to do the last three due to their unique Learning style/strength!

“Many African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American students use styles of inquiry and responding different from those employed most often in classrooms…most common practice…is to ask convergent (single-answer) questions… deductive approaches to solving problems. Emphasis is given to details, to building the whole from the parts, to moving from specific to general. Discourse tends to be didactic…”
Geneva Gay (2000)

Blooms Taxonomy of Critical Thought
Deductive Reasoning Model
KOWLEDGE LEVEL
Learn the Information
Define, list, label, memorize, etc.
COMPREHENSION LEVEL
Understand the Information
Express in other terms, illustrate, paraphrase.
APPLICATION LEVEL
Use the Information
Demonstrate, construct, convert, generalize.
ANALYSIS LEVEL
Break the Information Down to its
Component Parts
Analyze, compare, contrast, debate, infer.
SYNTHESIS LEVEL
Put Information Together in
New and Different Ways
Build, combine, create, imagine, propose.
EVALUATION LEVEL
Judge the Information
Assess, defend, critique, rank, verify.

“In comparison, students of color who are strongly affiliated with their traditional cultures tend to be more inductive, interactive, and communal in task performance…preference for inductive problem solving is expressed as reasoning from the whole to parts, from the general to the specific. The focus is on the ‘big picture,’ the pattern, the principle. In traditional African American and Latino cultures, problem solving is highly contextual.”
Geneva Gay (2000)

Blooms Taxonomy of Critical Thought
Inductive Reasoning Model (SEL & EL)
APPLICATION LEVEL
Use the Information
Demonstrate, construct, convert, generalize.
ANALYSIS LEVEL
Break the Information Down to its
Component Parts
Analyze, compare, contrast, debate, infer.
COMPREHENSION LEVEL
Understand the Information
Express in other terms, illustrate, paraphrase.
SYNTHESIS LEVEL
Put Information Together in
New and Different Ways
Build, combine, create, imagine, propose.
KOWLEDGE LEVEL
Learn the Information
Define, list, label, memorize, etc.
EVALUATION LEVEL
Judge the Information
Assess, defend, critique, rank, verify.









Inductive Reasoning
View Environment as a Whole
Communal/Collaborative Learners, Socio-Centric
Contextual Learners
Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
Meta-Cognitive Linguistic/Lexiconal Competency

Oral language (ex: Ruca/Vato/Simón, Tdat’s Au Right Aye or Later Aye, Right Now Right Now?, Phat/Crib/My Bad,
Dat’s Tight or Dat’s Sweet)
 Written language (ex: Poetry, Drama, etc.)
Spatial Competency
Movement/Visual Expressive

Once students learn to appreciate literature in the context of their own culture, they can better appreciate the literature of other cultures.

“…for students who experience disproportionate levels of academic failure, the extent to which the students’ language and culture are incorporated into the school program constitutes a significant predictor of academic success”
Jim Cummins, 1989

 Literacy is an extension of natural language learning
 School literacy experiences
 must be built around the language of the child.

Must draw upon the experiences of students for learning to be meaningful and relevant
 provide linguistic and cultural benefits to children.





Supports the acquisition of school literacy
Affirms Home Culture and Language
Supports the Acquisition of Academic Language


Oral language
Written language
Captures Interest and motivates students to read
(SSR, FVR, Reading For a Purpose, etc.)

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
First Grade
Mexican American
Student

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
First Grade
Mexican American
Student

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
First Grade
Mexican American
Student
Didn’t Mean Plural
Regularized Verb: eat 3 rd p.s.

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
First Grade
Mexican American
Student

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
First Grade
Mexican American
Student
Inverted Topicalization

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
Third Grade
Mexican American
Student

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6 wh Consonant
Cluster Lexiconal
Placement Over
Phonology of hui
Cluster
Nahuatl
(Uto-Aztecan)
Sound
School:
Third Grade
Mexican American
Student
Phraseology:
Conditional Use of the
Past Tense, the
Condition of the
Present/Future
May be Avoiding the ed
Marker
Vowel Consonant
Vowel Pattern

Written
Language
Sample
From a
District 6
School:
Third Grade
Mexican American
Student

Written
Language
Sample Vowel Consonant
Vowel Pattern
From a
District 6 Phraseology:
Conditional
School: Use of the Past
Tense,
Third Grade the Condition of the
Present/Future
Mexican American
Student

Well Intentioned Teachable Moments Yet Based Upon a
Deficit Perspective:



Correct and edit the student’s work
Tell the student good first draft, now go correct it
Praise the student in their effort and their multiple paragraph narrative and then facilitate a self editing session.

Teachable Moments Based Upon a Linguistic Capitol Perspective
Linguistic Contrastive Analysis:
 Using literature, poetry, songs, plays, student elicited sentences and writing, or prepared story scripts which incorporate examples of specific SAE and AAL or SAE and CE form contrasts, the student performs contrastive analysis translations to determine the underlying rules that distinguish the two language forms.
 Lessons address specific features:

Phonetic

Lexical

Grammatical

I have another hue.
It moves with colors running quiet.
As when the first genetic goo, mother to the first bacteria,
Gelled in darkened pools, hot
On a planet with toxic sky.
This shade bubbling in the infant burning
Birth, gestated gray orange in black space.
This membrane underneath my red skin
Linked to cosmic fossils,
It tells me, “See, I was born there
In that fiery crust surrounded by raven
Nothingness. I pang for the night sky.”
I began indigenous, pure
In my mother’s fluids, before the doctor’s
Cold gloves forced my soft brown head
From a primordial universe of liquid songs.

Since then, every face I’ve snuggled
Is obsidian, cinnamon, crimson.
My thoughts are enveloped in Mexica
Rose interwoven with oral tradition
Sprouted from Tohono O’odham scarlet.
All my mistakes breathe through Yoeme
Beige. Triumphs, bursted onto East
L.A. playgrounds with tints of matrilineal sable. My verse dry crumbles onto paper from hand
Muscles encased in red clay found
Underneath the pines east of Kingman,
Arizona, the red bronze dating back
To the Big Bang itself.

Even the conquistador’s acids trickling
Through my arteries, seeping from the first
Rape in the New World,
Cradle in Moorish chestnut.
I cruise 7th street among skid row
Drag queens hoping to venerate
Asphalt/concrete with spirits of ten
Thousand-year-old women skinning
Rabbits. I want to possess every MTA
Bus stop with ghosts of Tongva
Boys playing with the entrails
Of dead seals. I pray in Yaqui
So I won’t forget
I was once indigenous

And it ended in a downtown
Maternity ward. I eat pan dulce and pan
Perdido to drown my guts
With my mother’s dirt. The dirt that stuck
In her toenails when she walked barefoot
On her father’s farm, the dirt of Mexico. I
Live on the fringe of a millennium to remind
Others of temples bludgeoned, their colors
Desiccated, to remind me of a history
Determined as water breaking before labor.
I have a dark side and I see that it is good.
By José Mendívil
From his book of poems titled:
Blood Lines; Poetry by José Mendívil
©2004 by José Mendívil