Blog topic #1
I have always been interested in language acquisition. How and when do we learn language? We learn our first language from within the womb. Children who grow up in multilingual environments are easily able to acquire more than one language growing up. The brain research is very clear and the bilingual brain fires more synapses and has improved access to more neurological pathways. The brain is literally mapped for future success in learning subsequent languages. While the brain maintains some plasticity and can be retrained, it is more difficult for adult learners of a second language. When they begin to learn another language, they have to use different pathways and it usually takes an increased amount of time, effort, and money to achieve a fraction of the proficiency.My philosophy in education is pretty eclectic. I started out as a computer science major in my undergraduate studies and became frustrated with the ever-changing technology. I actually enjoyed learning the languages Pascal and Cobol, which are now obsolete and have suffered attrition in my proficiency. I no longer speak computer. I completed my Psychology and Spanish majors by default. I had started learning Spanish when I was 10.
At the time, I thought about teaching, but I wanted to teach younger children- not High School. I love to see the emerging language acquisition in a rich language environment. I pursued my Masters in Spanish Linguistics followed by doctoral studies in Applied Linguistics and some hands-on research with bilingual children. I have traveled extensively and now speak English, Spanish, Italian, German, and am learning French. I married a man from Italy and our children are multilingual. When my children were little, I home schooled for linguistic reasons. I have formulated a holistic eclectic philosophy of education, incorporating Waldorf, Montessori, and behaviorist through constructivist.
I believe that education is not one-size-fits all. We must constantly be negotiating meaning between all stake holders.
My philosophy of Spanish instruction has been to learn languages early and often...before the window of opportunity closes.
Unfortunately, in Illinois this has not been a priority. Nationally, NCLB and high-stakes testing have rendered Spanish Language instruction as not mandated (except in HS and college, which does not yield optimal proficiency outcomes), not funded and not tested. This, coupled with English-only movements and a backlash against Hispanic immigrants has made early second language instruction almost nonexistent. Bilingual Education is a political hotbed.
We will all need to be technologically literate. I think we can already see the effects of early exposure to the creation of digital natives. Let's hope that advancing technology doesn't make teachers obsolete.
