Examining Our Own Language Stories and Their Impact as Scholars in Bilingual Education

• In Event: 32.083 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 32.083-8 - Efforts Toward Educational Equity for Bilingual and Emergent Bilingual Children

Abstract

Through the use of testimonio, this paper shares our trajectories as language learners and agents of change in bilingual education. We address issues of Spanish language proficiency, ethnic identity, and mothering roles that have impacted our identities as Latina educators. We discuss social barriers that have impacted our roles as educators of emergent bilinguals (EBs) (Garcia & Kleifgen, 2010). We address the constraints of restrictive language policies in Arizona, the context in which we live and work, and their impact on our own identities and our shared goals within teacher education. By drawing on our own experiences and collective knowledge along with sociocultural theory, we discuss how we can help achieve the promise of equal educational opportunity for EBs.

Authors

• Alexandria T Silva, Arizona State University

• Tracey Terece Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

• Margarita Jimenez-Silva, University of California Davis