The Language of Life: Defining and demonstrating respect

PS 368 Mandarin Student

As parents, our No. 1 priority is to raise a child that is respectful. It is a lesson that is taught at home and from day one in most classrooms across this country and around the world. But before a child can be respectful they have to understand the concept of respect and have the idea defined. I have found that it becomes primarily the work of parents, to set the tone and model for what it means to be respectful to you and others, as we all live together in a community.

When I began Global Language Project, I remember that the first group of students who were learning Chinese had never had the opportunity to meet a person of Chinese descent. One third-grader named Alex could not remember the name of his teacher and when he had a question he addressed her as "Miss China." I was taken aback initially but then I realized that this was a teachable moment. I had an opportunity to address the fact with Alex that this teacher from China may have a different physical appearance on the outside, and maybe an unfamiliar accent, but at the end of the day she deserved the respect of being called by her correct name. I could see that while this was a new concept for Alex, he was open to learning and understanding. Children are like sponges and as parents we can define "respect" for our children by modeling it for them. Beyond demonstrating respect through our own actions and activities, we should be intentionally looking for all the teachable moments that may arise in everyday activities.

The grocery store, shopping center or neighborhood park are all fertile ground to begin modeling respect and building awareness of the diversity that exists in the world. As we know, children notice everything and have questions why people look and sound differently than what they are used to seeing and hearing. Depending on how loud and the location where these questions are asked, many of them have made parents squirm. Instead of fretting about a question from an inquisitive child, I have learned to be proactive in pointing out differences.

My personal favorite activity is to make it into a game. While you are shopping, if you hear someone with a different accent, have your child guess the country where the person might be from, or what language they might speak. The object of the game is not for your child to get the right answer. The goal is that in a subtle but impactful way, your child begins to notice the diversity that exists in the world. They will begin to understand that there are other languages to communicate in other than English, and that usually, if they hear an accent, it might mean that the person speaks another language.

Many will say that parenting is more of an art than a science. We have most likely learned in great part from our parents about the basics of what to do and what not to do, and maybe in our spare time we have read a few books. But most parents would agree that how we really, truly define our parenting experience is through trial and error. In our quest to raise a respectful child, our ultimate goal is to find ways to teach the lesson of respect in a way that is interesting, will keep them interested, and will keep the dialogue open and frequent. You will cultivate not only respect in your child, but also their curiosity about the world at large.

The Language of Life: Making music while parenting

Parenting involves countless hours of teaching, and teaching while parenting consists of constant repetition. In order for everything that we feel is important to sink deep into our children's hearts and minds, we repeat key items almost daily, if not hourly. "Put your shoes away so no one will trip over them," and "do your homework when you get home from school" or "clear your dishes when you are finished eating."

Parents can behave as if the seventh or 20th time something is said will make such a marked difference in that particular moment, that children finally will place the fact into their mental "life lessons" file and, suddenly, they won't need any more reminders about the matter.

While repetition is a great tool to use for teaching or learning just about anything, repetition without structure isn't the same thing and often little impact. The use of structured repetition works in music: verse, chorus, verse, same chorus, verse, same chorus, maybe a bridge, and then the same chorus again to end.

And what is the difference between a good song and a hit song? Song structure.

So is the difference between good parenting and great parenting structure? Perhaps. The process of learning anything is easier when music is added, and this rule certainly applies to parenting, so music can - and should - be applied more often in parent-child relationships.

Just as parenting and learning a foreign language are similar processes, they are both enhanced when music is added. The copious amounts of practice drills involved in mastering a foreign language are very much like the daily activities of parenting, which require constant recaps and reviews.

Word pronunciation and emphasis take on new life on a foreign tongue when a musical backdrop is added. And what was seen as a struggle with unfamiliar words and sounds only moments before, suddenly becomes a fun activity when foreign songs, rather than words, are being taught. Bursting out with a show tune on the virtues of remembering to do homework during a hurried evening routine might not be beneficial. But a short rhyme or song about the school day not being over until all of the homework is complete, could be a fun and effective way for your child to independently make sure they are prepared each night. Or rephrasing a popular chorus from your child's favorite song that reminds them to clear their dishes, will likely earn a memorable laugh and save future frustrations for all involved.

Global Language Project successfully teaches foreign languages to young children free of charge and uses music as a part of their successful teaching technique. Because GLP realizes the critical role that music plays in the language learning process for both the children and their parents, they are releasing "Coloreando," a collection of traditional children's songs from Spain and Latin America, performed by Marta Gomez. The recorded songs allow parents to teach, sing, play and most importantly, have fun with their children of all ages, while they all also happen to be learning a foreign language.

Repetition and structure are key elements to great music and to great parenting. If music is a universal "language," so is parenting. Watching a mother in Russia, Argentina or Los Angeles shush her wiggly child at a wedding requires pretty much the same gesture. But if those mothers chose instead to hum their child's favorite song in his or her ear to shush them, it is likely they would universally receive the same satisfactory response.

Listen to the COLOREANDO CD here:  http://glp4educators.org/coloreando/

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/10/07/2721576/the-language-of-life-making-music.html#storylink=cpy

Different Interests, One Goal: Mobilizing Support for World Language Education by Angela Jackson, Founder and Executive Director, Global Language Project

GLP Executive Director Angela Jackson (second from left) and
GLP Board Chair Justyn Makarewycz (far right) with event attendees
at My Dream Speaks

On April 11^th, 2013, Global Language Project hosted its 2^nd annual benefit, My Dream Speaks, to a host of positive feedback and support. What struck me about this year’s benefit was the sheer diversity of professional backgrounds that constituted our audience. I was amazed, after conversing with many, to learn about the different interests that have driven each individual to become invested in world language education. I realized then that what has been so key to GLP’s efforts to mobilize support is the idea that world language education holds different stakes for different people.

GLP Students:

Our students, whose voices are the most important here, experience learning a second language as a way to excel in their current academic subjects, to interact in new ways with their peers, and to realize their capacities for affecting change in their own communities.

GLP Parents and Educators:

The parents of our students and their teachers situate the importance of foreign language learning with other stakes in mind. Knowing a second language is a way for students to empower their local communities in the short and long term. Because teachers and parents have a more intimate knowledge of the kinds of struggles with self-conception and self-confidence that some of our students who live in neighborhoods plagued by systemic inequities confront, what knowing a second language means carries a different but no less important kind of weight for them.

GLP Students at the My Dream Speaks Benefit

Corporate Sector:

I have found that those who work in the corporate sector tend to view the importance of world language programs as a means for students to become competitive in an increasingly globalized workforce. 

Social Entrepreneurs:

Social entrepreneurs situate the importance of language on multiple registers—students who know another language can help to create and lead business practices that are more socially responsible and oriented towards a more multicultural audience.

So what does this mean for initiatives that seek to expand foreign language opportunities to young people?  A guiding question for me has always been, how do we get people with such different backgrounds, priorities, and interests to coalesce around something like world language education? What I have found in my experience, whether it be in organizing a major fundraiser, a small luncheon of business executives, or a day of celebrating the Chinese New Year in the classroom, is that these different interests do not have to be antithetical to one another. In fact, the differences are productive—they enable new kinds of relationships between people you would hardly see interacting with one another—hedge fund managers with the local school principal, media executives with NGO program directors, parents with leaders of government initiatives on language.  What they all have in common is that they value a second language. The relationships they produce have only helped GLP to continue to make the case that language is indeed a means towards multiple kinds of ends.

To see more photos of GLP's My Dream Speaks Benefit Reception, click here!

Language as a Means: The Multiple Ends of Language Learning

At Global Language Project, our approach is to think about language proficiency not only as an end in itself, but as a means for students to achieve success in a multitude of areas.  Our curriculum is designed to make direct links between learning the structure of a new language and the core subjects that students are learning in their daily classes and core subjects. Students need to engage on a deep level with another language not only to gain more opportunities in the workforce, but to also develop the skills they already are cultivating in the classroom. These skills are also critical ones for students in higher education and in the workforce.

Often in public schools, we see world language learning siphoned off into its own category, which leaves students and educators perplexed as to why achieving language proficiency becomes such a challenging process. As foreign as a new language might seem, we believe that there is a way to make learning a new language a process that students can identify with and in which they can find familiarity.  At GLP, our language classes are structured so that students reinforce the multiple skill sets, including social habits, they are learning in the classroom, but through the eyes of another language and culture.  Doing math exercises, for example, in Spanish not only enhances student comprehension of new Spanish vocabulary but also reinforces basic mathematical skills. Looking at the lives of important figures in the history of Spanish-speaking countries not only provides students with important cultural knowledge of a region, but also enables an appreciation of history as a way of looking at the world.

While language is our starting point, in many ways, the ends we hope to achieve are bigger, and the stakes higher. Many of GLP’s students come from communities that have limited educational resources and that suffer from poverty and its social consequences. We have found that our language programs have given students a safe space to channel their energies into something productive, and to see the value in developing teamwork, leadership skills, and productive relationships with their peers. In other words, language learning becomes common ground for giving students in under-served communities the chance to work towards broader goals for themselves and even for their local neighborhoods. 

 Whether our students are saying Hola!, Ni Hao!, Bonjour!, or Marhaba!, the value of learning another language remains constant. For us, it is about enabling students to become a better version of themselves as students, as potential members of the workforce, as global citizens, and as members of their communities. 

Advice on Teaching Variations of a Language

Advice on Teaching Variations of a Language 

Dr. Victoria Gilbert, Chair of the Foreign Languages Department, Saint David's School, New York

I think one of the beauties of being a language teacher is that you get to introduce students to the flexibility of thinking that comes when learning another language. Humanity is rich with expression!

For the little ones, to keep it simple, just introduce one dialect (per person) at a time. Children are much more flexible than we imagine as long as we give them a heads up on or an identity to associate with the code switch. If teachers are worried that their “version” of Spanish/French/Arabic/Chinese, etc. is not clear to students, you could rely on a flag sign that indicates the English you use (I am assuming here a US flag) on one side and the Spanish flag of whatever nation your accent and dialect is from (luckily, we have 21 varieties!!) on the other side. This way, there is not just “one” that is the correct one. It is best to stick to one for each teacher whom the little ones encounter for the sake of consistency. You don’t need to make it any more explicit than that to them when you say “cerdito” and the first grade teacher says “marranito.” They will adjust to it, first as a quirk of that teacher, then become aware that certain words follow certain flags, countries, etc.   For 2^nd or 3^rd graders, it would be fun to keep a “word” wall (or for the traveling teacher a folding map) with countries and flags and an index card with words that correspond to other words across borders. Students could investigate the varieties of these words within their own communities.

Depending on where you learned to speak, you should take that dialect as your default since it contains the words most likely to come to mind. European and American romance languages have a standard that you could consider teaching as the academic register at school---meaning you could find those words in the dictionary (www.wordreference.com) or in the Microsoft word review of languages under the editing tool. This way, other native speakers would understand a future business/personal exchange using that language. While I am not familiar with other countries, I know that English was never standardized linguistically the way that Spanish and French were –hence our crazy multiple spellings for the same sounds!

Older students are used to being “bicultural-bilingual” all the time. For example, there are words/expressions that they use with their friends that they wouldn’t use around parents and teachers. Given this, as lifetime language learners, we should ask ourselves, why should objects/things/ideas only have one label? It is important to remember that the “label” you use may very well be an original version of the word or it may have mutated in culturally grounded way. One of the advantages of starting a second language at the same time the first one is still developing is that the knowledge becomes encoded by the brain as “just another label” for that thing, rather than a specific linguistic track. This flexibility is part of what early language programs aim to provide for their students.

 Welcome to the wonderful world of being a language teacher!