What Does It Mean to Be Not Racist?
Recently, I have had a number of people asking me what it means to be racist. They mention times that they might have worn something or said something without meaning to offend and been called racist when they themselves know that they are not such. To be racist is often thought of as pejorative…the ultimate…
How Long Should Our Dual Language Program Extend?
I was asked an interesting question the other day. “How far should our Dual Language program go? Through elementary? Middle School? Or High School?” There are so many ways we can answer that question. By definition, a Dual Language program needs to be at least 6 years, starting at Kindergarten and stretching through at least…
For Whom is your Dual Language Bilingual Education Program?
If you are considering opening a Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) program, you must first determine whom your program will serve. This decision will help guide other discussions that you may have in the future. In this article, I provide you with the choices you have and the pros and cons of each of your…
César Chávez Teaches Us That We Need to Stop Placing People on Pedestals!
When I read Dolores Huerta’s Facebook post about César Chávez, it was the first I learned about the New York Times article. I was in my daughter’s bedroom and literally gasped in horror. I posted my support for Ms. Huerta on Facebook, but also wrote, “I have no words,” because I didn’t. I had to…
The Magic of Transfer in Multilingual Education
The magic key to multilingual learning lies in transfer. What you know in your first language can transfer to your second language and what you know in the second language can transfer to your first language. For instance, if you know how to add in English, you know how to add in every language because…
How The Argument Surrounding the “Warmth of Collectivism” Impacts our Multilingual Students
The Map Above Comes from Geert Hofstede Website One of the latest arguments highlighted by social media lately has been an argument over Zohran Mamdani’s use of the phrase, “warmth of collectivism.” Mamdani has proclaimed that voters have asked for collectivism over individualism. On the other hand, prominent commentators and religious figures have decried the…
The Early Start of Language Endangerment Among our Students
In a previous post, we analyzed this graph to understand the linguistic repertoire of our simultaneous bilinguals. Simultaneous bilinguals, who make up the majority of our emergent bilinguals nationwide, are those exposed to more than one language before reaching age 5. In the United States, we generally refer to simultaneous bilinguals as those who speak…
Assimilation Myths: Who Truly Belongs?
The Other An interesting theme that I have noticed on the Internet is the idea that only immigrants who are willing and able to “assimilate” should be permitted entry to the United States. Everyone else who wants to continue being the “other” should be denied entry. There’s a lot to unpack in this sentiment, but…
Can You Truly Be Colorblind?
It’s been a while since I have written about sociocultural competence, but a number of you have asked that I re-approach the topic, especially when it comes to the idea of being colorblind. To be fair, many of us grew up in the “colorblind era” when the topic of race was taboo. We were taught…
Separation of Language vs. Translanguaging
The topic keeps coming up. “I have kids in my class who don’t know English yet. Why can’t I just give them work in their native language?” “I have kids in my class who prefer English. Why can’t they translanguage during Spanish time?” Who said you can’t or that they can’t? Of course, translanguaging is…
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Language and Equity Blog 