Sustaining Latinx Identity and Language Practices: A Case Study of a Bilingual Teacher Residency Program

• In Event: A Bilingual Renaissance: Remedying and Repairing Monolingualism Through Critical Multilingual Education Research, Policy, and Practice

Abstract

This paper presents a promising framework for a bilingual teacher residency program by showcasing the development of a Bilingual Teacher Residency Program (TRP) in California. The residency program aims to prepare bilingual teachers who can sustain Latinx identity and language practices through a critical bilingual literacies framework (Author A, 2020). This initiative seeks to meet and exceed California's recently developed Bilingual Teacher Preparation Expectations (BTPEs) and transform bilingual education by nurturing culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy.
The TRP is grounded in the critical bilingual literacies (CBL) framework proposed by Author A (2020). This framework centers on four key principles: 1. Continuous self-reflection on language ideologies, 2. Practicing a pedagogy of unlearning linguistic hierarchies, 3. Analyzing language and literacy practices through a lens of power dynamics, and 4. Celebrating bilingual Latinx language practices, such as translanguaging. These principles guided the development of the residency model presented in this paper.
The TRP effectively prepares bilingual teachers by combining coursework, fieldwork, and mentorship. The residency integrates the Three Ts approach (temas, textos, and translanguaging) (Author A, 2020) into its curriculum, emphasizing culturally and linguistically sustaining topics and multimodal texts. Residents teach in bilingual classrooms alongside their mentor teachers throughout the entire academic year, aligning with the district calendar. The program also incorporates reflective practices, such as autobiographies, to help residents examine their language ideologies and experiences.
This paper describes the guiding state standards, coursework materials, and reflective assignments that residents engage with to demonstrate a promising framework. It draws from residents' bilingualism autobiographies, lesson plans, and culminating projects, which demonstrate their understanding and application of the CBL framework and the Three Ts approach, to provide a model for bilingual teacher residencies. Additional sources include the mentor teacher support structure and assessments of residents' teaching practices.

The TRP effectively prepares bilingual teachers to implement culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy. Residents demonstrate a deepened understanding of their language ideologies and an ability to design instruction that celebrates bilingual Latinx students' language practices. The program's emphasis on translanguaging and the integration of the Three Ts has led to meaningful engagement with students, nurturing a sense of belonging and identity affirmation.

The scholarly significance of this paper is its contribution to the field of bilingual education and teacher preparation. The TRP provides a model for developing bilingual teacher residencies that prioritize a culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy. By centering Latinx bilingual children's identities and language practices, the model addresses the need for ideologically clear (Alfaro and Bartolomé, 2017) teachers who can support the cultural identities and language practices of residents and their future students. This study also highlights the importance of integrating reflective practices into teacher preparation programs, offering insights for research and practice in bilingual teacher education. The TRP showcases the potential of bilingual teacher residencies to transform bilingual education by affirming and sustaining the rich cultural and linguistic identities of Latinx communities. The paper provides a valuable framework for other institutions seeking to strengthen bilingual teacher preparation programs and specifically their teacher residencies.

Author

• Luz Yadira Herrera, California State University - Dominguez Hills