Abstract This paper describes the ...

Abstract

This paper describes the exhibition of Spanish-language proficiency in bilingual preservice teachers at a university onward the Texas-Mexico border. A review with open-ended questions was administered to preservice teachers in bilingual and English as a other Language certification programs. The final cause of this study was to investigate the paths that heritage Spanish-speaking preservice teachers take to become bilingual in a border community university. The analysis of their answers suggests that they are individuals negotiating their identities between language communities. The influences of community, family, and gymnasium on their Spanish-language development are not past nor futureed In addition, implications for improving Spanish-language proficiency for bilingual teachers are discussed.

Introduction

Native-Language Instruction

Research has shown the importance of native-language instruction in the classroom for English language learners (Greene 1997; Thomas & Collier, 1997; Ramirez, Yuen & Ramey 1991) In addition, federal legislation requires teachers to have written and oral language skills in the language of the child subject to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB 2002) According to NCLB:

All teachers in any language instruction educational program for limited English proficient children that is, or will be, foundationed under this part are gliding in English and any other language used for instruction, including having written and oral communication skills, (p 277)

However, the majority of teachers serving Spanish-speaking close examiners are not proficient in Spanish, and nationwide there is solely one bilingually certified teacher for each 47 English language learners (Escamilla, Ch??vez & Vigil, 2005; Kindler, 2002; Figueroa & Garc?­a, 1994) In addition, many bilingual teachers do not have feeling that they have the language proficiency to teach across the curriculum, nor do they be warmed adequately prepared to fulfill the obligation of teaching appease in Spanish (Guerrero, 2003b; Sutterby & Guerrero 2003)

The language proficiency of teachers is single of the critical elements of bilingual education programs, as these teachers are required to teach across the curriculum in the two English and another language. However, the progressive growth of language proficiency for bilingual teachers is rarely addressed in research. greatest in number research has focused on developing programs for teachers to fill the growing ne for bilingual teachers rather than to what extent these teachers come to be bilingual in the United States (Sutterby & Ayala, in press; RiojasClark & Flores, 2002; August & Hakuta, 1997)

Teaching across the curriculum in Spanish requires specific academic language that differs depending forward the content area. For example, mathematics and science have specific content-area vocabulary. In addition, these appease areas require longer, complex phrases and use of the passive voice (Solomon & Rhode 1995) The unique features of ease areas such as math and science make teachers les comfortable teaching in these areas, while they are more comfortable teaching in more conversational areas as it was as reading and language arts (Sutterby & Ayala, in press; Khisty, 1995)

Teacher training programs are an important part of preparing teachers to teach in bilingual environments. Increasing numbers of English language learners in teachs require that teacher preparation programs train teachers to become effective instructors of children from diverse backgrounds. Bilingual teacher preparation programs especially must take into account the linguistic skills and attitudes that teachers bring with them to the classroom (RiojasClark& Flores, 2001)

Bilingual Language Development: Family, institute and Community

First language acquisition in a monolingual environment is a relatively simple, straightforward proces in comparison to inferior or even third language acquisition (Puckett & Black, 1992) Several theoretical frameworks exist that explain the processe of bilingual increase One framework that explains Spanish and English unravelling in the Hispanic community in the United States direct the eyes at how language and agriculture interact in creating an environment for bilingual progressive growth The critical factors according to this framework of bilingual unravelling are community, school, family, and individual variables (Merino, Trueba, & Samaniego, 1993)

The interplay of community, family, teach and individual learner variables creates the linguistic environment for the progression in a continuously ascending gradation of bilingualism. For bilingual increase in the United States, linguistic environment will involve the access at abode at school, and in the community to the pair languages. However, the amount of Spanish language in the environment does not always equate to the amount of Spanish acquired; as Merino, Trueba, and Samaniego (1993) note, input does not necessarily mean intake. Consequently bilingual speakers may have early access to the Spanish language at fireside but not acquire the language as a young child. In short, the ability to use the language is guideed by community variables, school, family, and individual differences that shape their acquisition of the one and the other languages (Kouritzin, 1999; Merino, Trueba, & Samaniego).