Thelma Barraza Ms.

Megan Weaver Rhetoric 101-05 November 20, 2013 Bilingual Cultural Literacy Narrative In a society increasingly based on the rapid transmission of information and teaching practices, literacy has become an indispensable and valuable asset. However, it has numerous definitions and meanings to individual people as it continues to be developed through our rapidly changing world. To be literate, in any language, has become an important tool to further continue education and comprehend the variety of texts in its contexts. Experiences with becoming literate may differ from person to person depending on their family, background, and beliefs. Literacy involves important underlying principles. These principles mainly include understanding the sociocultural perspective. Most would agree that the skill of becoming literate begins at a very young age. It begins from repeating the cooing words a mother says, to word pronunciation, and finally forming intellectually structured sentences. Yet, it is a different situation when the primary educators have been raised speaking another language. I was born in Los Angeles, California, a city with an increase in development of Hispanic culture presence since its settlement in 1769. I am a first generation American of Salvadoran decent, and I was taught Spanish and English from struggling parents at home. When I was of age, my stay-at-home mother began to teach me how to read and write. She approached literacy with the belief that greater exposure is skillful. She focused on creating an English-centric environment, but continued to teach me Spanish literature in between.

On the other hand, my father struggled with the idea of only learning Spanish at home and being thrown into an English speaking class at school or in the workforce. He enforced me to practice reading and writing primarily in English and using Spanish as a secondary locum. On Sunday mornings he would give me the Los Angeles Times newspaper to complete the crossword or find interesting pieces of journalism. Afterwards, I would ask for the La Opinin to read out loud and practice my Spanish. Although my father was an English-only advocate, he knew he was not replacing English with Spanish, or hurting my English language skills. I was capable of learning both, but he knew we lived in a world that was English dominant. In the classroom, my learning experience was unlike the average English-speaking American. At five years old, my parents asked the administration to immediately test me out of English Second Language (ESL) classes. English Second Language classes did not incorporate the lessons going on in the class. Oftentimes, the thirty to forty-five minute daily program misinstructed foreign students and made them miss important lessons in the main classes. This made it difficult for students attending ESL to incorporate content-based lessons into their curriculum. In the Standard English classes I put my cultural literacy knowledge to the test. I began by connecting both languages and piecing them with learning experiences I had acquired living in a Spanish speaking home. Furthermore, my curiosity and perseverance to learn came from being bilingual. It helped me prevail in my core classes. Literature became easier to read, understand and analyze in the classroom environment. English language teachers traditionally emphasized the meaning of texts over the sounds of the letters to become just one component of the whole language. I overcame this problem by structuring the language and using scope and sequence, lessons and activities

and extensive graded literature my mother provided me. Use the dictionary, remember the phonics instructions, read slowly, understand what you just read, my mother would say. I was able to use information in new ways and eventually began teaching my own family in fluent English. Moreover, as my fluency in both languages enhanced, so did my skills. I had understood the difference between the two languages and opened my mind into a new way of processing. Today, I use the two for my academic and professional advantages. Bilingualism is gaining popularity and people are more open to learn about various cultures. Speaking another language is no longer taboo as it was many years ago. Additionally, Latin American countries are continuing to develop their economies and more opportunities will soon be available for Spanish-speaking individuals. Classroom literacy and instruction are evolving into balanced literacy. It can now provide and cultivate the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening for all students while recognizing and respecting their cultural, ethnic and academic diversity. Proponents of bilingualism are believed to make an easier transition from a native language to an English-only education. It also makes an individual become a confident speaker of English. Not only do expanding cultural ideas tighten the relationship between students, it also illustrates the similar lessons within education. The acknowledgment between diverse speaking countries, make it easier to improve in communication. Ultimately, the decision to raise bilingual children is a personal one. I am very thankful that my parents insisted on teaching me English and Spanish. It required commitment and dedication from both parties, but it has enriched my every day experience. As an avid reader, I tend to be more intellectually curious in all subjects and strive for perfection while writing.

Correspondingly, it is important to encourage the growth and knowledge of the Latin American culture. Today, many resources are available and ready for use. I was handed a head start and a rulebook in my mother tongue, but I was gifted with the ability to rise above the basic meaning of literacy and advance in the English language.