Maestras/os Teorizando y Aprendiendo Juntas/os: Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices to Support Spanish Heritage Speakers' Learning

• In Event: Contra la Corriente: Cultivating Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Learning Spaces for Chicagoland Latinx Youth

Abstract

Although research supports validating the histories, cultures, and language practices of heritage speakers (Valdés, 2001) in schools, this is not reflected in pedagogical practices dominating Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) classrooms. We are three bilingual Latina/o SHL educators who are participants of a Critical Action Research (CAR) project where we explored culturally and linguistically sustaining theories and practices in our curriculum. The CAR project is the second phase of the first author’s dissertation study that attempts to make changes in teacher practice based on the findings from the first phase of the study. During the first phase, eleven Latina/o high school Spanish teachers shared their testimonios, focusing on their language experiences across the educational pipeline. Analysis of these testimonios found that participants experienced inversion of their bilingualism (Rosa, 2019) and faced linguistic racism during their preservice teacher preparation, but that they privileged asset-based pedagogies in their own SHL classrooms.

The CAR project was rooted in a critical stance that encourages educators to reflect on how political and cultural systems and ideologies influence what is and is not included in school curricula (Patterson et al., 2010) and drew from five steps of action and self-reflection proposed by Kemmins et al. (2014). Based on the findings from the first part of the study, participants were provided a space to explore Critical Language Awareness and Ethnic Studies that align with a critical perspective to teach SHL. Through critical reflection, educators explored how Eurocentric curriculum affects the lives and quality of the education of racialized students.

Five participants participated in the CAR study. The data sources consisted of eight virtual 2-hour long meetings as well as participants’ written reflections. Participants explored critical readings and videos prior to attending each of the meetings. Grounded theory was used to code and analyze all data sources (Charmaz, 2014).

The CAR project centered participants’ identities, language practices, histories, and cultures and became a space of comunidad and support where participants shared their lived experiences without fear of judgment. This unique space created an opportunity for some participants to critique their own language ideologies. For example, one of the participants, Frank, shared that his exploration of the theory of translanguaging in the collective allowed him to finally understand the damage he could cause his students by not embracing the validity of his students’ entire linguistic repertoire. All participants had the opportunity to individually and collectively reflect on their own long-held beliefs about language varieties and their teaching beliefs as educators. The CAR project supported participants to take action to ensure their pedagogical practices benefited their heritage speaking students academically, while also supporting their own language agency. Since the conclusion of the CAR project, participants have designed units for their SHL classrooms rooted in a critical perspective, and some of us are presenting together at professional conferences. We are committed to communicating to other educators about the importance of ensuring that Latina/o/x heritage language speakers receive the educational experiences they deserve.

Authors

• Nancy Domínguez-Fret, Northern Illinois University
  Presenting Author

• Juan Tinoco, Riverside Brookfield High School
  Presenting Author

• Melissa Aponte, West Aurora High School
  Presenting Author