Spanish Language Proficiency
El sendero torcido al español [The Twisted Path to Spanish]: The Development of Bilingual Teachers’ Spanish-Language Proficiency
John A. Sutterby, Javier Ayala, and Sandra Murillo University of Texas at Brownsville
Abstract
This paper describes the development of Spanish-language proficiency in bilingual preservice teachers at a university on the Texas–Mexico border. A survey with open-ended questions was administered to preservice teachers in bilingual and English as a Second Language certification programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the paths that heritage Spanish-speaking preservice teachers take to become bilingual in a border community university. The analysis of their responses suggests that they are individuals …show more content…
In addition, many bilingual teachers do not feel that they have the language proficiency to teach across the curriculum, nor do they feel adequately prepared to fulfill the obligation of teaching content in Spanish (Guerrero, 2003b; Sutterby & Guerrero, 2003). The language proficiency of teachers is one of the critical elements of bilingual education programs, as these teachers are required to teach across the curriculum in both English and another language. However, the development of language proficiency for bilingual teachers is rarely addressed in research. Most research has focused on developing programs for teachers to fill the growing need for bilingual teachers rather than how these teachers come to be bilingual in the United States (Sutterby & Ayala, in press; RiojasClark & Flores, 2002; August & Hakuta, 1997). Teaching across the curriculum in Spanish requires specific academic language that differs depending on the content area. For example, mathematics and science have specific content-area vocabulary. In addition, these content areas require longer, complex phrases and use of the passive voice (Solomon & Rhodes, 1995). The unique features of content areas such as math and science make …show more content…
For bilingual development in the United States, linguistic environment will involve the access at home, at school, and in the community to both languages. However, the amount of Spanish language in the environment does not always equate to the amount of Spanish acquired; as Merino, Trueba, and Samaniego (1993) note, input does not necessarily mean intake. Consequently, bilingual speakers may have early access to the Spanish language at home, but not acquire the language as a young child. In short, the ability to use the language is governed by community variables, school, family, and individual differences that shape their acquisition of both languages (Kouritzin, 1999; Merino, Trueba, & Samaniego). The community provides an important element in the development of bilingualism. One aspect of the community, language shift, is the tendency for languages to be lost across generations. Researchers in language shift originally described the process as taking place over three generations. The first generation spoke the mother tongue, while the second generation spoke both English and the mother tongue, and the third generation speaks only English (Pease-Álvarez, 1993; Portes & Rumbaut, 1990). “Bilingualism thus appears often to constitute a temporary condition for communities. One of the two languages, if it is perceived as
John A. Sutterby, Javier Ayala, and Sandra Murillo University of Texas at Brownsville
Abstract
This paper describes the development of Spanish-language proficiency in bilingual preservice teachers at a university on the Texas–Mexico border. A survey with open-ended questions was administered to preservice teachers in bilingual and English as a Second Language certification programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the paths that heritage Spanish-speaking preservice teachers take to become bilingual in a border community university. The analysis of their responses suggests that they are individuals …show more content…
In addition, many bilingual teachers do not feel that they have the language proficiency to teach across the curriculum, nor do they feel adequately prepared to fulfill the obligation of teaching content in Spanish (Guerrero, 2003b; Sutterby & Guerrero, 2003). The language proficiency of teachers is one of the critical elements of bilingual education programs, as these teachers are required to teach across the curriculum in both English and another language. However, the development of language proficiency for bilingual teachers is rarely addressed in research. Most research has focused on developing programs for teachers to fill the growing need for bilingual teachers rather than how these teachers come to be bilingual in the United States (Sutterby & Ayala, in press; RiojasClark & Flores, 2002; August & Hakuta, 1997). Teaching across the curriculum in Spanish requires specific academic language that differs depending on the content area. For example, mathematics and science have specific content-area vocabulary. In addition, these content areas require longer, complex phrases and use of the passive voice (Solomon & Rhodes, 1995). The unique features of content areas such as math and science make …show more content…
For bilingual development in the United States, linguistic environment will involve the access at home, at school, and in the community to both languages. However, the amount of Spanish language in the environment does not always equate to the amount of Spanish acquired; as Merino, Trueba, and Samaniego (1993) note, input does not necessarily mean intake. Consequently, bilingual speakers may have early access to the Spanish language at home, but not acquire the language as a young child. In short, the ability to use the language is governed by community variables, school, family, and individual differences that shape their acquisition of both languages (Kouritzin, 1999; Merino, Trueba, & Samaniego). The community provides an important element in the development of bilingualism. One aspect of the community, language shift, is the tendency for languages to be lost across generations. Researchers in language shift originally described the process as taking place over three generations. The first generation spoke the mother tongue, while the second generation spoke both English and the mother tongue, and the third generation speaks only English (Pease-Álvarez, 1993; Portes & Rumbaut, 1990). “Bilingualism thus appears often to constitute a temporary condition for communities. One of the two languages, if it is perceived as