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Optimal Learning Environments - Dr. Alicia Valero-Kerrick

Promoting Bilingualism and Biculturalism

Posted April 2nd 2013

Promoting bilingualism and biculturalism is important in a multicultural society. The importance of ethnic language in establishing an individual’s ethnic identity speaks to the important role that parents and educators can play in prompting bilingualism (Phinney, Romero, Nava, & Huang, 2001). However, educators, parents, and policy makers are apprehensive about teaching children in a language other than English (Genesee, 2010) given the current focus on English language proficiency over primary language maintenance. There are many approaches to teaching children a second language and different activities to promote appreciation of different cultures. Teachers can develop children’s native language through games, books, stories, rhymes, movement, singing, and dancing. For example, during a lesson on farm animals the teacher can read the children the Spanish book El concierto de los animales (The Farm Concert) by Joy Cowley. An extension activity would be to have cutouts of the farm animals so that the children can learn the vocabulary words while they role play during subsequent readings of the book.

What other creative activities can you think of to teach children a second language to promote bilingualism? How can teachers promote multiculturalism in the classroom?

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Reply from Sheila Kennedy posted on August 9th 2013

There is one activity that I like to do during the morning circle time that promotes bilingualism. I would sing a greeting/hello song in all the languages that are represented in the classroom. For example, the children in my classroom were native English learners, Hmong, and Spanish speakers. Therefore, the hello song was sang in English, Hmong, and Spanish. The classroom environment consist of materials that represented the cultures of the children in the classroom; such as books and music in English, Spanish, and in Hmong. The dramatic play area represents the children' cultures as well. Such as, dress up clothes and kinds of pretend food. The props used in the dramatic play area changes to represent the different cultures in the classroom. Parent input and parent volunteers are used to create a multicultural environment.

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Reply from sandra gonzales posted on May 22nd 2013

Aside from the issue of which program model an English Learner has received, the inconsistency of programs over time appears to be a major contributing factor to the creation of Long Term English Learners (number of English Learners in grades 6–12) who have been enrolled in United States schools for more than six years without yet meeting the criteria for reclassification. One of the strategies should be prepared and train teachers with skills to provide supportive instruction, that is needed by English Learners and also understanding about the important role of primary language. Also we need to understand that learning English cannot occur in a short period of time. Teaching English Learners requires direct, explicit instruction on strategies needed to build vocabulary and comprehend grade-level texts and participate in discussion about the content. Lessons should be designed around structured language objectives for integrating subject matter content, vocabulary development, and content-related reading and writing skills. Teachers should be trained in doing text-centric analysis of the language The classes should be interactive, with carefully planned activities that have students actively using language and engaging with the academic content: e.g.: sharing family costume creating poster and writing details about a particular costume they would like to share. Make a recipe book. Students cannot be expected to develop high levels of literacy for academic work in English if they are being hobbled by not engaging their home language.

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Reply from sandra gonzales posted on May 22nd 2013

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Reply from Karina Cervantes posted on May 20th 2013

If I was a teacher who was trying to promote a second language and multiculturalism in the classroom I would do it through books. There are so many books on different about different cultures and languages that if used correctly they could be tied in to the curriculum without having to stray off from the arranged lecture. On book I would use would be Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughter by Barack Obama. This book not only teaches multiculturalism but it also gives children a sense being in the classroom because they may see themselves (people of their culture or ethnicity) in the pages of this book. There are many other books similar to this one that can be used in the classroom for children of all ages.

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Reply from Rafaela Cortes posted on May 20th 2013

I believe that promoting bilingualism and bicultural is a good idea to have in all schools. students get to appreciate their parents language. It is also very important for children to speak more than one language because they have better opportunities in life if they speak more than one language. The united States is a very diverse country and it helps if school promote that diversity into bilingualism and biculturalism.

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Reply from Jose Lopez posted on May 20th 2013

I believe that using history could be very beneficial in a bilingual/bicultural class room setting. Class room activities that compare and contrast american and which ever country is prominently associated with the other language being applied, could really help children grasp new vocabulary words, while giving them a sense of cultural pride. Having show and tell from all the different cultures in the class could also provide a way for children to share their backgrounds and give children more insight on american influence on traditional culture on other cultures.

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Reply from Hanna Adams posted on May 20th 2013

I believe that bilingualism and biculturalism, are an important part to not only the united states but to California. I know this first hand, my father was raised as a first generation American. His father was a part of the Brocarro program that help build the rail roads. He was raised to speak english and forget spanish. I was raised without knowing spanish because that part of my heritage was taken away during the 1940s. I believe that the best was to teach a second language is to find an interest, and introduce it through first hand experiences. If learning japanese/mandarin because you live in the bay area may help provide a greater understanding for your community. That means someone to introduce foods, tellings stories in those languages. Not to forget that in order to be successful you may want to have children of similar ethnicity.

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Reply from Rebekah Mamola posted on May 20th 2013

I think that language is an extremely important aspect of culture. The United States is made up of thousands of different cultures yet multilingualism is not a valued skill. I think that it is important for cultures to retain their language and celebrate their diversity. The views and opinions of multilingualism begins at an early age. Many times when a family enters the US they want their children to learn English right away so they can assimilate into the American culture. What happens more times than not, is the child becomes so proficient in English that they begin to lose their first language. I think that language diversity should be celebrated and encouraged in our schools. I think the best way for children to become bilingual is to have them frequently exposed to the language. A teacher can read books in the desired language, play music, play interactive games that incorporate that language, as well as invite community members who speak the language to visit the class.

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Reply from Janessa posted on May 19th 2013

I think that promoting bilingualism and biculturalism in the lassroom is an excellent idea simply because it shows that teachers recognize and realize that children come from various backgrounds and speak various languages. I think that by incorporating books, and by playing music with different languages as well as each month maybe picking a language that is spoken by one of the students in the class and representing that language throughout the class via vocabulary and/or pictures will show the children that you are aware of their differences and appreciate them.

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Reply from Janessa posted on May 19th 2013

In order for ECE professionals to create optimal learning environments for all students they must first and foremost put all of their biases aside. Secondly they must realize that all students are different and come from culturally diverse backgrounds. Lastly they must be aware of their role, which is to teach. Once all of the aforementioned is realized and understood the environment for these children will be better. I also do not think that cirumstances should play a part in the way students are treated. I do feel that the RTI approach will play a huge role in closing the achievement gap if it is properly executed

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Reply from Fermina Camacho posted on May 19th 2013

We are a country of many nations and I believe the best way to celebrate them are to highlight each students race/ ethnicity during a culture week or festival. Each child could bring an item (food, clothes, etc.) that represents their culture celebrating and educating other students about the world and their fellow classmates. Perhaps teachers could bring in guest speakers to talk about foriegn countries or play worldly instruments. Teachers could follow after these speakers with lessons on the country the children just learned about. There is so much to learn about other cultures it couldn't possibly just end with food, music, or clothing. A feild trip to a local museum or concert could also be something children could learn from and enjoy.

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Reply from Ciara M posted on May 17th 2013

I agree with what you are stating about the importance of promoting bilingualism and biculturalism in our society especially in the classroom. By the children being exposed and learning a second language will benefit them in the future. Since I was raised as Spanish being my first language, then learning English, I always felt proud that I could speak two languages. When I taught preschool myself and another teacher wanted to incorporate Spanish so we asked the parents first and they said yes. The way that we incorporated it was that we would go over the days of the week, months and numbers in English and then in Spanish. We also used songs and music in Spanish, reading the students books also. Some parents even asked us if we could send activities home in Spanish so the children could practice. Another activity that we did with the children was that we placed words in English and Spanish along with a photo of the item that the children colored around the classroom.

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Reply from Roxana Cobbs posted on May 17th 2013

I couldn’t agree more about the importance of ethnic language in our classrooms to promote ethnic identity. It is unfortunate that policy makers have the power to change and limit how we teach our children in their home language as they simultaneously learn English. By having access and knowledge of another language other than English, we do not become isolated from society or do not have love for this great nation in which English is the primary language. It is important for teachers to be informed so that we can assure the parents that it is beneficial for their children to be bilingual and billiterate. I have encountered research about the importance of children’s L1 development to reinforce the acquisition of L2. Dual immersion programs are a success throughout the US. Unfortunately, they are not common. We can introduce ethnic language in the classroom through simple techniques such as labeling materials, and places in the classroom; having multilingual books in our library, having both genders represented well, etc. As teachers, we should learn words and phrases in the languages that our students speak at home. There are many books that are translated into many languages; often having English written on the pages. Though we cannot give instruction in all the languages that our students speak, there are definitely ways for teachers to help establish the children’s ethnic identity in school. It is important for all teachers to be sensitive and to make sure that all the students have “a piece of home” at school. It is also important to establish a welcoming relationship with the children’s families.

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Reply from Mona Dates posted on May 15th 2013

Teachers can promote bilingualism through counting (math games)and music. Counting can be fun and to teach it in two languages can be even more exiting for a child. I remember when I was in Kindergarten I learned to count in English and Spanish as we learned about the dates in the month. Teachers can promote multiculturalism by not being judgmental and understanding of cultural differences.

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Reply from Lexe Valdivia posted on May 13th 2013

I think Music is a powerful tool that effects our emotions. Parents know that a quiet, gentle lullaby can soothe a fussy baby. And a majestic chorus can make us swell with excitement. But music also can affect the way we think and why not our little ones. Furthermore, in order for teachers to promote multiculturalism in the classroom, children can learn from a young age to respect and love other kids regardless of their skin color or language barrier. Kids who may be older can be involve in cultural activities such as documental movies, pictures and lots of pictures

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Reply from Itza Gonzalez posted on May 9th 2013

I believe children should be given the opportunity to be exposed to other languages other than English at an early age. This can be nothing but beneficial in the long run. It doesn't have to be anything too complicated with trying to incorporate it into the curriculum. Teachers do not have to be bilingual in order to promote bilingualism/biculturalism. I have seen simple activities done as simple as counting in spanish while doing exercise stretches for PE. Singing songs I have seen to work beautifully to promote other languages. Children are really attracted to music specially at a young age which would make this a great way to learn new words in another language. In classrooms, where bins and shelves are labeled, another good idea would be to provide the label not only in English but in another language you want to teach or encourage. Other ways to promote bilingualism could be having a cultural day where students learn about different backgrounds.

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Reply from selena v. posted on May 8th 2013

Biculturalism and bilingualism are very important, and especially in the country of the United States. Since this country is very diverse one many employers would like to hire those who speak more than one language. Therefore, teaching children at a young age about other countries and its culture and language is extremely important. There are different ways of teaching children about other cultures and language. One way could be by having one day of a month dedicated to a country. This could happen by having children from that country dress up as the typical way people do in their country. Also, parents can take typical food of the country to share with all students and teachers. Secondly, teachers can promote bilingualism by also focusing the specific day of the country to learning educational game activities that are played in that country. Moreover, the teachers can teach students the alphabet and numbers of the country and simple words. Finally, these are some ways teachers, parents, and children can promote biculturalism, bilingualism, and multicultarism at the same time.

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Reply from Anna Truong posted on May 6th 2013

I think that promoting bilingualism is a great idea. It is great to have an exposure to different languages and cultures. I feel that teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by having them get to know their students and different cultures. After seeing the different cultures in the classrooms, I would suggest learning about those cultures from the child themselves and through other sources. Each week, I would focus on one culture/language and have the students participate in creative activies regarding that culture/language and it's importance. In addition, I would have them say numbers or letters in the begining of the day in that language that we are focusing on. I would also try to find songs of that language to sing along with or learn, so they can be aware of the different languages.

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Reply from Margaret Banash posted on May 6th 2013

Teachers can promote multicultural in their classroom by including the students cultures into their classroom. A good way to do this would be to assign an assignment to have each student present about their cultures each week. In their presentation they can invite their families to come in and teach a little or they themselves can. They can bring in items of their culture, foods, music, and pictures. After their presentation is over the student can choose one item to leave in the classroom for the rest of the year. This way the student feels like their culture is represented and also that child may now feel a little more at home.

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Reply from Tanya Taranchuk posted on April 30th 2013

Promoting multiculturalism in the classroom is very important especially living in a country such as United States that's a melting pot of different cultures and languages. Having children learn about different cultures will develop appreciation and more open-mindedness to other children that are different from them. We want all children to feel welcomed and appreciated and including multiculturalism in the curriculum can built that foundation and trust. Furthermore, teaching children about other cultures will help them get along better with other children that are from different cultures, which is an important skill that they will need when they grow up and go into the work force. As future adults, they will interact with many different people that are from different cultures and it is important that these children from a very young age learn not to be ignorant but open-minded to the differences in cultures. Teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by having activities that can teach children about different cultures and languages. For example, my little brother that is in 5th grade was assigned to do an ABC book about a country of his choice and he chose a country named Afghanistan. For every letter of the alphabet he had to find something that was related to that country and write a short paragraph. For example, he chose "I" for Islam and "C" for culture. I thought that was an interesting way to promote learning about different countries. Other creative activities that can teach children a second language or promote multiculturalism are singing songs in a different language or learning numbers and simple words in other languages. Another way to promote it is through reading books about children from different cultures.

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Reply from Yrma Zevada posted on April 30th 2013

I believe that promoting multiculturalism and bilingualism in the classroom is essential to a child’s learning. We live in a country where everyone one way or another is an immigrant to. A lot of times unfairness and misjudgment is made for the simple fact of not knowing. Through my bilingual education class I’ve learned that the best way a child can learn English and achieve academically is by using their primary language as a base for their learning. Promoting multiculturalism in a classroom is easy because more than likely a classroom is composed of at least 3 to 4 different races and cultures. The teacher can have their students have a share and tell day where the students can take in one artifact that represent their culture.

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Reply from Melissa A posted on April 30th 2013

To start off it is important to start at an early age. As children tend to pick up things more quickly when they are younger. In the classroom, if they are very young they can start off by learning how to say good morning or hello in different languages each day. As I know what we also do for girl scouts, for each of our meetings we would choose a country, we would learn games that they play, we would also have a snack that we would eat that was from that country. We would also talk about their culture and what they did differently from us. Another activity that we do in girls scout would be a cultural night. Which a child can chose a country and do a presentation on the country. Another idea that they could do, I know that today a lot of teachers put students into groups in the classroom, they could name each group by a country or language that they speak.

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Reply from Anna posted on April 30th 2013

Introducing children to a new language I believe is better when at an early age. I support language immersion programs because they give schools the opportunity to teach children a new language. The brain\'s of young children is like a sponge that absorbs so much information. During their preschool years it is optimal to introduce a new language. Bilingualism provides more opportunities because children would be able to understand two different language and have a better understanding of two different communities.Bilingualism should be promoted in classrooms to help children understand that there is differences in the world around them. This could help decrease ethnocentrism. Teachers can incorporate creative activities by reading books that would normal be in English, in another language. Singing could also be a great way to introduce children to another language. Multiculturalism can be promoted by speaking to children about the difference between the students and explaining why it is that way and why it makes the child special.

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Reply from Monika posted on April 30th 2013

A creative activity that I remember from preschool, that I would use, would be given a coloring sheet with boxed in categorized of items such as fruit and toys with the name of the item labeled on the bottom in Spanish. The teacher would go over each item in English and then in Spanish while coloring each item in a small group. The only issue was when I had transferred to another school for first grade, there wasn’t any curricula exposing me to Spanish or another languages and wasn’t exposed to it at home. When I had been transferred again in middle to another school that had the curriculum to learn a different language I fell behind because I wasn’t exposed to any other language for several years. A way for a teacher to promote multiculturalism in the classroom would fun projects that taught students about other cultures, languages and having them present them to the class room.

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Reply from Ivory Jones posted on April 29th 2013

I believe that teaching children a second language at a young is, vital though we strive so much of perfecting the English language here within the United States. It is also necessary to promote bilingualism in order for the cultural of others to continue. Having been one to be able to teach children within a classroom as a teacher’s assistant working a head start, I had the opportunity of teaching both English and Spanish to children with working at head start. There are children whose first language is not English and know little to none. Some fun games that where played involved getting the children up and moving, by playing a song and having the children listen carefully to what was being said and to do as the song said. For example jumping on one leg was first sung in English then in Spanish eventually the children had begun to learn the words and connect it to the direct meaning. Some things to continue to promote multiculturalism are to do some sort of show and tell by bringing something that is strongly associated with that child’s particular culture to school and showing what it stands for within their own culture.

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Reply from Angelica Palomares posted on April 29th 2013

Promoting bilingualism is very important in the classroom. It allows children two learn two languages and they are able to use those own native tongue in the classroom. My teacher taught my class about different languages each week she would have different cultures each week and would allow us to learn their language as well as their customs. She would find books in different languages. I really enjoyed that because I was able to learn new languages and be aware of what other cultures practiced. Other things teachers can do are allowing children to bring in a book from their culture and in a different language. Also, to watch educational movie's about other languages. If the children are older they can have a potluck with different types of food from different cultures and be able to share with the students about the significance of the meal they brought.

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Reply from Davi Ridley posted on April 29th 2013

Promoting multiculturalism in a classroom is extremely important. Not only does it teach children tolerance and understanding, but it makes them more well-rounded individuals. Incorporating bilingual education is a large important part of pormoting multiculturalism, I believe. When I was in elementary school, there was a large deaf community on campus. Each year, starting in kindergarten, every student was taught sign language and did activities to help them understand the deaf children and what they experience. We did this by having activities with the deaf classes, doing art projects that emphasized hands and hand shapes, learning sign language vocabulary that had to do with that month (for example, if it was November, we would learn Thankgsiving themed words)and even watched the deaf students put on plays. This taught all of us that even though this culture, this community, was a little different, we could still interact and understand each other despite those differences. It was a lot of fun learning a new language and it opened our eyes to a new experience. This is something every school and classroom should strive for. That sense of community and understanding is very important. This can be done with any culture that has special customs or a language. Populations are growing and changing all the time, and so should everyone.

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Reply from Mai Yang Thor posted on April 29th 2013

I'm not a teacher but I've been a tutor for Spanish, Hmong, and Russian speaking students for about four years now. What's usually fun in the classroom is exposing them to a variety of popular songs that the class can sing together. In choir when I was in elementary, we were already exposed to the Spanish language even before I started learning Spanish in high school. It was because the songs we sang taught us the words and the meanings. It made us appreciate their language. Another activity can be a show and tell of the important things in the student's life and of their culture. I did this in first grade and it really made my classmates see where I'm coming from and the language barrier I was facing. Especially at the time, students are at the age of expressing sympathy, and many of them would come comfort me. Many of them wanted to learn my language. I know some schools promote multiculturalism through multicultural day where they would have all sorts of cultural performances, food, and activities. Teachers can promote multiculturalism, especially in language, is through vocabulary games. A word can be said in English, then the teacher can ask each student to say in their language what the word would mean. It helps the student who's translating in their first language to be able to open up. Not only that but the student can get a better understanding of his or her language. The rest of the students are exposed to the English as well as the home language. I know some teachers do this already but whenever there are holidays, they would celebrate those with the students like Cinco de Mayo, Day of the Dead, etc. But mostly, it really depends on how the teacher views the importance of multiculturalism.

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Reply from Christian Solis posted on April 28th 2013

At one point in my life I do want to teach, though I am not sure what age, I believe that students must be motivated and feel comfortable in class. A teacher should be open to differences in opinions and have the capacity to agree to disagree. I also have seen school, like preschool programs with an overall philosophy and that all teachers should be on the same page. I think that it is difficult for everyone to have the same philosophy we are different and creating a personal mission statement seems to be more effective.

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Reply from Noung posted on April 26th 2013

I think that it is hard for teachers to add multiculturalism in the classroom because there is too much pressure for students to excel in English. One way that teachers can promote bilingualism is through an activity where students have to bring an item from their heritage and share it with the class. I did this during one of my grade school years and I learned a lot from the decorative hand designs of Henna to even my own culture. Children could also have a project where they have to create a storybook based on a folktale from their culture and share it to the class. They could also give a presentation on the different holidays such as Hmong New Year, Muslim fasting, and a variety of other holidays. These are just a few ways to promote multiculturalism, but the challenge is finding the time to effectively incorporate into the classroom.

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Reply from Michelle Wilson posted on April 25th 2013

Teachers can find out what nationalities are in the classroom for the year and find holidays to celebrate from that group of people, by using different decorations for that holiday. Making food from that culture for everyone to try. A different holiday could be celebrated during each month. The children could bring in something that represents that holiday or just their culture itself. Tell stories of how the holiday is celebrated as well as use some their native home language to name things around the class and the school. Maybe the teacher could ask parents to come in and tell stories and answer questions about the native language and culture. If there is special clothing from that culture, that would be interesting for the children to see.

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Reply from Jacquie White posted on April 23rd 2013

Teachers can promote bilingualism through other ways rather than just reading. They can create or learn about games that could be played in another language. They could spend part of their time teaching about other cultures rather than just the American culture; maybe they could teach about a new culture each week and have a project based on that culture. Along side the English alphabet that is in almost every classroom, they could have a Spanish alphabet or posters in both languages. There are many possibilities, it would just require a little creative thinking from the teachers to really get the children engaged so they enjoy it.

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Reply from jennifer posted on April 22nd 2013

I believe that all teachers can promote bilingualism even if they don’t speak a second language. Teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by having signs up in the classroom for different languages. For example, for the door teachers can put English: Door, Spanish: por and many other languages. Teacher can also look the different ethnicities in their classroom and write up signs that are in the children’s language. Different activities that I think would promote second language is when it is either Chinese New Year, Cinco De Mayo, Hmong New Year, Hanukah, or any other celebration each child should either dress up and play show and tell or the teach can provide materials for children to learn more about the different celebrations that ethnicities celebrate.

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Reply from Brittni posted on April 22nd 2013

In order to promote bilingualism in class teachers can encourage other students to talk about holidays and their families. Depending on the age group children can bring different items from their cultures for show and tell. Often times schools tend to single out other holidays. If teachers can bring in diversity in the classroom, more students may feel connected to their class and teachers. The teacher can open up conversations about diversity and language. Teachers can also show pictures and teach children how to say different words in another language. For older kids, teachers can have a potluck and tell students to bring food that represents their culture. Teachers can then open up conversations about language and diversity.

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Reply from Ashley Voss posted on April 22nd 2013

In order to promote learning or bilingualism and multiculturalism in classes we should explore what cultures you have in your classroom. We should involve our students families and learn about their differnt holidays and activities. Also in order to bring different languages in to the classroom we should provide a variety of different books. Also we could ask the children what languages they are interested in and then use those languages to label items around the classroom. Later you can refer to the items in other languages and the whole class will understand.

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Reply from Franchesca rivera posted on April 17th 2013

i believe learning a second language is very important especially in today's society. the career field is very competitive and it would really help if you had a second language under your belt. learning a different language also allows you to have cognitive flexibility in using those parts of the brain that are required of you in order to learn a different language. you can work in some vocabulary in board games and have them move up a space according to if they get the correct word or not. teachers can incorporate multiculturalism in the classroom by allowing the students to pick a different culture for the week and that whole week they focus on the culture and customs of that culture and have a potluck at the end of the week with that culture's foods.

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Reply from Shelbi Andrion posted on April 17th 2013

Promoting bilingualism is crucial for our future society. Growing up, one of my friends attended a bilingual elementary school where she learned Spanish. As an adult, she is able to communicate with others who speak Spanish and has many opportunities to connect with people on a more personal level. This has helped her in her career, shaped her cultural acceptance of others, and has made her into the strong woman she is today. Teachers have a major opportunity to make a huge difference in our society. They can promote multiculturalism by having the kids engage in interactive activities revolved around cultures. Once a week students should be asked to share something about their culture and if they can, bring something in to support what they are sharing. Creating a positive learning environment for the students will help promote healthy friendships within the classroom. This can lead to the acceptance our society is lacking in. Using the ethnicity of the students will be a helpful tool that a teacher can use. When it is a student’s birthday, the teacher can teach the kids to sing happy birthday in other languages; specifically the ethnic background of the birthday child. Learning how to count to ten, simple food items, small phrases, and how to say colors in other languages can be a simple and successful way to incorporate other languages into the classroom. Multiculturalism is something that is important to the people of our society and should be incorporated in every classroom.

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Reply from Natalie Pulber posted on April 16th 2013

Incorporating and promoting bilingualism in the classroom is a very good idea in my opinion. Since the whole United States and especially California is very diverse and multicultural, it is a very important and useful tool to have for the future. Teachers can do many things and activities that will promote bilingualism in the classroom. First, reading books is not only interesting to the children but also very educational, especially in another language. From experience, the children love to sit and listen to a story especially if it's different, funny, and in another language. Another way to promote bilingualism is through counting. At the sites I worked at, the teachers had the children learn how to count to ten in English, Spanish, Hmong, and asked me to teach Russian also. They children think it's a fun game and learn pretty quickly. Another thing teachers can do is while sitting at the breakfast or lunch table, just start naming the food items, first in English and then in another language. Teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by making sure that the children themselves know that their classroom has many diverse cultures, languages and races. Teachers can do that by reading books about different cultures, or making a fun game or activity which will promote multiculturalism.

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Reply from Jennifer Gutierrez posted on April 16th 2013

First of all the teacher must be aware of the diversity and have accept their students differences. Not only should they accept the cultural diversity but also learn to teach and embrace it within the classroom. Although a lot of schools are teaching only English and American History there has been an increase in the language immersion programs within some school districts. As both a mother and future educator I feel it is extremely important that a child should be able to express their diversity, share and teach others. As a teacher there are many ways in which both multiculturalism and bilingualism can be promoted and incorporated into classroom activities. One activity that each student can participate in is creating a biography about their self and their families. The teacher can assign the activity to the students and allow for them to work on the activity both at home with their families and within the classrooms. Then each student can be allowed to share to their classmates on a designated day. I had the pleasure of taking a course with Dr. Valero last semester and our class participated in sharing the story behind our names. I feel this is another great way for the students to learn about their names and their family by researching the reason they have the name they do. These are just some of the activities that can help promote multiculturalism among the students in the class. One way in which the teacher can promote bilingualism is by creating lesson plans that incorporate learning different words in another language. The lesson plans can be altered in which each student will be allowed to relate to the language through their own family heritage. The teacher can focus on one language per week or however long they feel is adequate. The teacher could also use holidays throughout the years to create activities in which the students can be allowed to teach each other about their traditions based on their culture. There students should be allowed depending on the grade or age to make a lesson plan and share what they practice and why they are proud of their language, culture, and family. As a future educator it is so crucial that the students are able to express their selves and know how important their culture and language is to carry on for future generations.

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Reply from maychee khang posted on April 16th 2013

promoting bilingualism is great since we are now more diverse and in order to get a sense of being different we incorporate other cultures int games and songs to learn other languages and techniques of other cultures. group activities can also help children learn faster by encouraging each other to learn another language.

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Reply from Rosario Sandoval posted on April 16th 2013

I think incorporating bilingual into teaching is a get idea because California is a very diverse state where more than one language is spoken. In addition, it would benefit children later in the workforce. Not only does children learn a new language, but also the culture that goes with it. Some activities to promote bilingualism can be read stories, sing songs,talk about their culture (having a culture day) where children can share their traditions and customs. In addition, they could have plays to practice the language they are learning.

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Reply from Linda Lee posted on April 14th 2013

I think that incorporating bilingual into teaching is a great thing. I grew up not having this privilege and I wish I did. I think some creative activities are counting numbers in different language, naming the colors, body parts, and foods. I am working with preschoolers as a volunteer and the teachers there would count the numbers in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Chinese. I thought that this was a great idea to let the children learn three ways of counting in different language. Also, when the children are eating, the teachers can teach the children the name of an apple in a different language. Teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by making sure children are aware of the different language and clothing of the groups. For instance, explaining that Spanish has their own language and can be identify by their clothing from other groups. Or when it is Thanksgiving, let the children dress up based on their ethnicity if they want to. This way it lets the children understand that everyone has their own unique culture.

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Reply from Lysett Perez posted on April 12th 2013

I think it is a lack of opportunity that we are taking away from our children when we emphasize the importance and training of only the English language. Growing up I experienced this first hand as a student. When I was younger I spoke English at home with my parents and Spanish with my grandparents. However, when I entered elementary school my school told my parents that I was having a few difficulties with using both languages. At the time my parents thought that it was a better choice to not allow for me to speak Spanish. Now I can not speak the language but I can understand it (which always puzzles me). I think that Bilingualism is such an important gift to have and I wish we as the American society can encourage it more for our children. There are so many important aspects of different cultures that we do not understand because we do not encourage it. I think a great way of encouraging bilingualism and multiculturalism would be to have live performances, singing songs, learning how to count in different languages can really help with schools that teach many different cultures. I think an easy way would be to offer the chance to learn a second language earlier in a child’s education rather than wait till high school we would be opening many more opportunities for our children.

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Reply from Sandy Do posted on April 10th 2013

I believe that promoting bilingualism and biculturalism in a multicultural society is very important. Our society continues to become more and more diverse which means there are a variety of different languages. The knowledge of more than one language can also be beneficial in the workforce. It is effective to teach children a second language while they are still young because they are more likely to remember it. Teachers can incorporate bilingual books into lesson plans, as stated above. For example, teachers can provide the same story in more than one language. When I was in elementary school, everyday for about an hour, we had a separate language teacher come in to teach us Spanish. She used pictures and illustrations to teach us basic vocabulary (ex: colors, clothing items, foods, tools, etc.). She also incorporated fun and interactive games and activities to help us memorize the vocabulary. I enjoyed being able to have this opportunity and believe that it was highly effective because when I took Spanish I in 8th grade, I already knew the basic vocabulary. This helped me a lot. Teachers can promote multiculturalism in the classroom by celebrating the holidays of different cultures (ex: Chinese New Year’s, Thanksgiving, Cinco de Mayo, etc.). Teachers can introduce the important concepts of the holiday to the students and get them engaged by using crafts, activities, and group discussions. Children can also compare how their families celebrate that particular holiday. This will help the children to remember and appreciate multicultural celebrations and traditions.

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Reply from Paige Sutton posted on April 9th 2013

I agree that promoting bilingualism and biculturalism is important because in today’s world it is highly advantageous for one to be bilingual; considering the many different languages that are spoken. With that, one ought to also be aware of the culture that goes with that language. Given that, it is crucial that more bilingual education be offered in schools, preferably beginning in the lower grades, because of the ever-expanding studies showing how beneficial it is to teach a second language earlier and earlier. As mentioned, there are many exciting ways to incorporate a second language into the curriculum, and thus, give students an advantage for being able to communicate with others that speak another language in the real world. While in class, the teacher could show a short film that is presented only in the language they are trying to teach, and afterwards, have the children discuss it. Perhaps, watching the film and listening to the language can enhance their ability to understand the language some. Or, reading books in the other language and then in English so that the students draw the connections and again, become more and more familiar with the words; increasing both their understanding and ability to use the particular language. A fun way for the children to be able to express their own, independent culture within the classroom may be for them to celebrate any holiday or events that are “unique” to their specific culture. In doing so, it can only bring the children closer and closer together and enhance their understanding of one another’s culture.

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Reply from Sarah Johnson posted on April 9th 2013

A student’s bilingual and bicultural identities are incredibly important. I have had limited experience with this, i always knew there were bilingual students among me but sadly I never paid much attention to their struggles or their education. Actually the first real eye opener I had was in Mrs. Valero’s class when members of my class, my peers, my friends, got up and talked about their struggles and hardship while going through school. I felt bad that I had never noticed. Currently I am enrolled in EDBM 170 and it’s like a whole world has opened to me. I am torturing a little girl from Nepal; she is in kindergarten and has a very limited understanding of the English language. Sadly, her teacher doesn’t seem to care. Even though I’m sure I’m not doing as much good as a real bilingual teacher I feel like I am helping her, she is learning the words we practice and at least while I am there she is learning through play. We sing songs and dance and play games and take walks, I have learned a lot about bilingual students and I just wish they could all get the education we all deserve.

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Reply from lenora posted on April 8th 2013

I believe it is very important to promote bilingualism in a school setting. I myself, am bilingual in Portuguese, and took some years of schooling in portuguese on the side of regular school instruction. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be enrolled in a secondary language program, and learning another language in school is the next best way to promote bilingualism. I feel that now, more than ever, more job opportunities are given to those who are bilingual and that people should learn another language before it is a requirement in high school. Begining in elementary school, as a student is learning their colors for example, would be a great way to incorporate colors in Spanish as well. I say Spanish, because this is one of the most popular second languages in the U.S today. Having children learn antonyms in Spanish; like up and down, right and left, would be another easy way to incorporate bilingualism. There are so many easy ways to promote bilingualism into the school systems and this would really help students become more familiar with another language before they are expected to grasp concepts in high school.

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Reply from Jennifer Gutierrez posted on April 8th 2013

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Reply from Devon posted on April 8th 2013

Promoting bilingualism and biculturalism is an important concept for teachers. Our society today has grown and is becoming more diverse that we should be adapting to these changes. Unfortunately, schools focus more on teaching only in English and not expanding their students horizons. Also, a good majority of students, English is not their first language. As teachers, we need to be aware of other cultures entering our classroom and be able to accomodate all the different backgrounds. One activity that I had actually done when I was younger, was a class potluck. Our teacher told us to make an original, cultural dish from our ancestors and bring it to class. It was a lot of fun being able to try different dishes from other cultures that normally I would not have experienced. This would be a good activity to bring multiculturalism into the classroom and you can also have the students do a presentation of the history of the country that the dish is from. Also, another activty that students can do, is on different holidays, do a coloring activity that correlates with a different culture and also has a story that goes along with it that can be their reading material. For example, Cinco de Mayo or the Vietnamese New Year are two holidays that are widely celebrated in our society and this would be a fun activity to incorporate multiculturalism. A lot of teachers have students do spelling words each week. What we can do is incorporate another language by having the students learn both the English word and also the word in another language. There are a lot of children who are visual learners and by having signs in another language just posted around on different objects like a desk or the door, students will learn to associate that word with that object. The younger children are, the easier it is to teach them a new language. By incorporating just the basics of a new language in a students' curriculum can be beneficial towards their future life.

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Reply from Dawn Powdrill posted on April 7th 2013

I believe that it is important to become familiar with students cultural backgrounds in order to empathize, and understand where they are coming from. This understanding may help them feel more comfortable with the teacher and respected. In turn, promoting positive learning experiences with confidence, and increasing motivation. One exercise that I have practiced with my ELL tutee is the Total Physical Response Exercise(TPR). The exercise involves the teacher leading commands that are to the point such as, "stand up, sit down, touch the ground." We do it together, then he does it alone, and then he tries to speak along with me when going through the responses. This activity is short, but fun for both of us. It's also good in the beginning as a warm-up or at the end as a closing of our session.

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Reply from Roxana Cobbs posted on April 7th 2013

I completely agree with the importance of promoting bilingualism in the classroom. It is unfortunate that California has passed proposition 227, which does not allow teachers to instruct children in a language that is not English. As a bilingual individual, I can say that it is an advantage being able to speak two or more languages for anyone, anywhere. Especially in the United States; where many people from so many countries come together. Teachers can do many things and activities to promote multiculturalism and bilingualism in the classroom. It is important to consider the age of the children in the classroom; so that the tactics are developmentally appropriate. I believe that a wide array of activities can be planned to encourage students to develop an awareness and appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity presented in the classroom. Teachers can find out which are the primary languages spoken by the students and their families, as well as the school’s staff and other teachers. Teachers can use resources from the internet, and the school or community’s public library. There are many bilingual books for children in many different themes and subjects. These can be incorporated into the lessons and curriculum. If budget permits it, the teacher can purchase books that can be lent to the students and parents to read at home. Encourage parents who speak a language other than English to use it with their children. Talk to parents about activities and study habits that can improve their children\'s language learning. Invite community members who use languages other than English in their careers to discuss career opportunities with middle and high school students. Collaborate with other foreign language, bilingual, and English as a second language teachers to share resources and work together toward common goals. Pursue professional development activities (attend conferences, read journals and newsletters, take courses and seminars) to keep up to date on language learning research and on new approaches to language teaching. Whenever possible, teachers should travel abroad to expand or update your knowledge of the language and culture. It is also important to keep up-to-date with advances in language learning technology. Teachers should adopt new and stimulating approaches to language teaching. Unfortunately, society does not always encourage children and teenagers to learn a second language. It is unfortunate but I believe that we can all do our part in changing this.

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Reply from Kayla Briney posted on April 6th 2013

Bilingualism is an important factor for children. Several other countries prompt teaching more than one language to children so that they can function in the world market more effectively. By being bilingual, it gives an individual an edge to be able to communicate with others who may speak not speak nor understand the individuals primary language. It also brings an appreciation for diversity and other cultures. As a soon to be teacher, it is important that I realize these factors. Activities that could be done to promote bilingualism is to read books or teach songs in other languages while having concrete objects for the children to see so that they can see what the object being spoken of is. When teaching about another culture, I can teach about it in that culture's primary language and then transfer it into English. This is also a way to promote multiculturalism. Another way is an event that I experienced while working in a classroom. Instead of having a Thanksgiving Day party, the class had a multicultural party. All the students were to bring in a food dish from their cultural as well as something to teach the class about the culture. Bilingualism and multiculturalism is an important issue that needs to be taught in school. The world is not a mono-linguistic society with only one culture. There are several world views and languages that differ from one another. However, they are what the world is comprised of.By acknowledging and teaching this, students can be more understanding and have a more open mind when looking at the differences in the world.