"Teaching Language With Culture In California"

I randomly searched “Language and Culture” on the internet and came across an interesting article about a dual-language immersion school. The article “Teaching Language With Culture In California” from National Public Radio interviewed a teacher and parents from a Riverside, California elementary school. Elementary school teacher Ron Morris has recognized that the majority of his students come from a Hispanic background, so he has altered his teaching style to fit their needs. As we have said repeatedly in this class, language is culture, and Morris has recognized he would not reach his students by strictly speaking English. The education Morris is attempting to give is students, is not for his own benefit, but for theirs so speaking in Spanish helps them learn in the classroom. The article explains that his students are still learning math and spelling, but in Spanish. Morris has recognized that his students’ culture is not English or from the United States, but from Mexico where they are speaking Spanish. The article also interviews some of the parents who appreciate Morris’ dedication to teaching their children. One parent stated that she chose Morris’ elementary school because of him and the way he was trying to reach his students. Another parent said he loved Morris’ teaching style because it is the culture he grew up with, referencing how Morris speaks and sings in Spanish to his students. Even from an elementary school standing, students learn culture from the language they speak. Morris is a great educator who realized the best way to reach his students was to speak their language and teach them their culture. This article builds on the ideas we have discussed in class that one learns language from culture, and vice-versa.

Resources

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/22/521056929/teaching-language-with-culture-in-california

Fernandes, Deepa. (2017, March 22). Teaching Language With Culture In California. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2017/03/22/521056929/teaching language-with-culture-in-california