Mock Spanish & Children's Literature: Criteria for Evaluating Negative Language Stereotypes10/6/2016 Before taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, I was not teaching to my fullest potential with English Language Learners (ELLs). I was hired in a new district with a significant multilingual population and received excellent ESL training from my district, transforming my worldview, as well as, my instruction for ELLS. Currently, I am an Education Librarian and one of my responsibilities is to purchase K-12 materials to support pre-service teachers. This position added a different perspective to my understanding of ELLs and bilingualism. I had to be more intentional and directed when purchasing books for multi-language learners. While searching for children’s books to purchase, I saw the following title: From the cover and the brief synopsis, I was intrigued. What struck me immediately was the main character being an Afro-Latino boy. He was a reflection of students in my classroom. So, I started looking up reviews to ensure this title would be a good fit. While reading the review an issue I'd never considered became apparent. Here is the review: Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2016 (Vol. 84, No. 1) A little boy searches for his lost toy. An unnamed but adorable young boy awakens to find his beloved Bongo missing. Painterly oil illustrations show the boy looking under his covers and his bed to no avail. The opposite spread presents him standing in his pajamas and socks with an endearingly realistic questioning expression and stance. A search commences as he asks various family members (humans and pets alike) if they know Bongo's whereabouts. No one does, but particularly astute readers may discover a clue as to who is responsible for Bongo's disappearance. Spanish phrases in the dialogue are followed by their English translations in a matter-of-fact manner. Scenes such as one in which his mom combs his sister's hair lend a warm, cozy feel. In a twist, readers discover who spirited Bongo away through the protagonist's cleverness. Velasquez's portrayal of a family that is both black and Latino (a rarity in children's books) is refreshing. His clever (if not subtle) inclusion of his previous title (Grandma's Records, 2001) may lead readers to seek out that worthy story. Unfortunately, Spanish words are italicized, a decision that perhaps should have been rethought given recent debate about the exclusionary nature of the practice. Still, this simple story with a twist should have wide appeal. Darling. (PUBLISHER: Holiday House (New York:), PUBLISHED: [2016]) Source: Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (BC access) http://www.clcd.com.proxy.bc.edu/#/singlebook/OgokKKnnkngnipKm/Velasquez,%20Eric,/Looking%20for%20Bongo Spanish words italicized is an issue? I did some further digging and I found this video putting this debate in context: I had no clue. I dug a little deeper because I was curious as to what other issues are involved with children’s books and language. One of the articles I found was this one: Sounding Out: Speaking “Mexican” and the use of “Mock Spanish” in Children’s Books (or Do Not Read Skippyjon Jones) https://soundstudiesblog.com/2014/05/05/speaking-mexican-and-the-use-of-mock-spanish-in-childrens-books-or-do-not-read-skippyjon-jones/ Mock Spanish? I’d never learned about this concept as a school librarian or a classroom teacher. I thought about books I’d purchased as an elementary school librarian. Did they reflect the cultural language properly? Probably not consistently. I know I’ve purchased Skippyjon Jones books as a school librarian. Although this debate primarily deals with the Spanish language, what about the other book selections in other languages? Cultural responsiveness is not a new concept in education, but responsiveness to language is not readily discussed. Defining criteria for appropriate language use in literature, especially children’s literature is an issue needing further discussion with classroom teachers and school librarians. (This is a plug for ESL/School Librarian collaboration and professional development.) Carmen M. Matinez-Roldan, who wrote an article about the Skippyjon Jones fiasco, gives a framework for looking at language through cultural authenticity using Latinos in literature as her example : “It is to analyze how the author contextualizes the story and, more important, how the representations in the story contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the richness and complexities of Latino culture and literature and how issues of power are embedded in the text” Using Spanish makes this topic more comprehensible, due to cognates and my elementary understanding of Spanish. But what about other language portrayals in children’s literature? Educators and Librarians should be cognizant of appropriate language in children’s literature.
After assessing the appropriate use of language in children's literature, the following criteria was aggregated:
This is just an initial list. Please feel free to suggest additions to provide students a positive portrayal of languages represented in children's literature. Reference: MARTÍNEZ-ROLDÁN, C. M. (2013). The Representation of Latinos and the Use of Spanish: A Critical Content Analysis of Skippyjon Jones. Journal Of Children's Literature, 39(1), 5-14. (Link BC Access Only) http://proxy.bc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.bc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=87330985&site=ehost-live Spanish Literature Resources: Cooperative Children's Book Center: Spanish-Language Literature Resources https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/spanishdist.asp Book Selection Resources: Anti-Defamation League: Assessing Children’s Book Collections Using an Anti-Bias Lens http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/Assessing-Children-s-Book-Collections.pdf
0 Comments
|
T. FontnoEducator, Librarian, Chronic Web Surfer |