History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
Bilingual youth: Language demands of a globalized future
- 08-18-2011
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Blog by Marjorie Faulstich Orellana/Huffington Post
For some time, I have been thinking about what education might look like if we truly wanted to build on the linguistic and cultural assets of bilingual youth. I'm referring to youth who used to be called "Limited English Proficient" students in school. Now they're labeled "English Learners," but schools still tend to view them as "limited." We might ask: who is more limited -- those who are growing up with two languages, both in formation, or those who only have access to one code? Many English Learners use their skills in the English they are learning, and in their home language, to speak, read, write and do things for others. They serve as "language brokers" for their families -- as well as for their teachers and many monolingual English speakers. Arguably, these kids possess skills that are of great value in an increasingly globalized and intercultural world: the ability to talk to and mediate between speakers of different languages and people from different cultures. Moreover, these skills are not just of value for living in such a world, but for creating the kind of world that I, for one, hope to see. (more...)
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