Language: Border, Bridge, or Barrier?
Objective: Students will understand how their experience of language shapes their experience of the border.
NCSS Standards Met By This Lesson: I, IV and IX.
Introduction: A theme running through these units is how we view the border, metaphorically. One of the most important aspects of the border is the relationship between the English and Spanish languages. In this lesson, students will use their own experience to examine how they view language differences on the border.
Materials/Preparation: Charts, poster paper, and markers.
Instruction/Practice:
Part 1 -- Creating a Continuum of Language Use
Have students develop a continuum of language use & understanding on the board. At one end only, Spanish Only/No English. At another end, English Only/No Spanish. Then have students brainstorm for other points along this line. Suggestions:
Spanish Fluent/English Difficult
Fluent in Both, Spanish Dominant
Use of Spanglish/Code-Switching
Fluent in Both, English Dominant
English Fluent/Spanish Difficult
The continuum may be even more detailed. S tudents might rate their speaking fluencies on a scale, say, of 1 to 5. Other language knowledge besides Spanish and English may be factored in. In addition, students may consider reading & writing fluencies, and variants of Spanish known. The continuum may have as few as six categories or a much greater number.
After developing the continuum, ask students to choose the group to which they feel they most strongly belong. S tudents may group themselves in specific areas of the room. The teacher can note the number of each students in each group on the continuum.
Part 2 -- Class Discussion
Questions for discussion:
1) Which groups does your group most often interact with?
2) How much interaction is their among your group with other group?
3) As an individual, how often do you interact with people from other groupings?
4) How many actual friends do you have from other groups?
5) On a scale of 1 to 5, how easy or difficult is it for you to interact with people from these other groups?
Part 3 -- Documentation/Conclusions
The results of these questions can be mapped out in the form of a survey, or a graph, or any other way that the groups think reflects the accuracy of the responses.
Ask groups to make some conclusions based on this survey. Which groups are most fluid in the border society? Which groups are less fluid? How do people from these groups feel about this? Does being able to move easily from one language group to another make for a more interesting or satisfying experience of the border? Why or why not? What are the joys, the frustrations?
Closure: Ask a spokesperson from each group to present the conclusions reached by that group.
Extensions: Individuals or groups can develop surveys which can then be distributed/performed on larger groups--other classes, the school at large, students, faculty. Chart the results of the survey in the classroom. How does the school at large compare with the class? Faculty to students, etc? This exercise also leads to discussion on how surveys are developed, what kinds of questions lead to accurate results, margin of error, etc.