So why the resistance to DLI education and the end goal of bilingualism and biliteracy for students? Historians cite historical and political reasons, such as anti-German sentiment during and after WWI. Sociologists suggest linguistic discrimination, rejection of languages stemming from racism. But perhaps underneath all these reasons there is something else too.
In 2022, the New Yorker posted that Brene Brown’s 2011 TEDx talk, “The power of vulnerability,” was ranked one of the top five most watched. It obviously struck a chord. Most of us related to what she said about our tendency to resist vulnerability. Instead of admitting our feelings of fear or uncertainty, we either numb them or “try to make everything that’s uncertain, certain.” And, the “more afraid we are, the more vulnerable we are.” The unfortunate result of resisting vulnerability, she explains, however, is lack of connection with others.
Could it be that our country resists DLI education because bilingualism and biliteracy make the many of the 80% who are monolingual feel vulnerable? If it’s true that “we fear what we don’t understand,” (a well-known quote attributed to everyone, from Dan Brown, author of The Lost Symbol, to Tuvok of Star Trek: Voyager), it makes sense. Having no experience with the transforming power of bilingualism nor any understanding of bilingual development themselves, they fear it.
What other reason than fear could drive many English monolinguals to assume that people speaking in other languages are talking about them? We’ve heard the assumption numerous times in our line of work and have even seen it lead to “Speak English Only” rules governing teachers lounges and hallways in schools or districts with DLI programs and bilingual staff members. If we consider this absurd assumption and offensive rule through the lens of resistance to vulnerability, however, we can begin to feel compassion rather than outrage. Especially because, the result, as Brene Brown revealed in 2011 is extreme disconnection, an “us against them” mentality. We know this because we are often contacted by school leaders to help rebuild unity in situations like these.
The source of the disconnection usually stems from the monolingual staff members because, you guessed it, they feel vulnerable. Their desire for the “English only rule” is a form of resistance to vulnerability. When we unpack the fear that lies beneath the vulnerability here’s what we learn.
- They fear losing their jobs because more and more families are choosing DLI education.
- They feel uncertain about how to interact with DLI students because they themselves cannot speak Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic.
- They worry about DLI students' English development, not understanding how it’s possible for them to “keep up” with their peers.
- Then they feel less valued when DLI students perform as well on English measures of achievement as their own students.
Ultimately, faced with fellow teachers and students who have a skill, they themselves do not, they fear no longer being relevant.
But, here’s the good news. Exposing their fears encourages their bilingual counterparts to do the same.
- We use the partner language with our colleagues because it feels more comfortable than English, not to exclude you.
- We worry about our jobs too. The program here is new and it feels sometimes like the school community is just waiting for us to fail.
- We could really use your support and mentorship. Many of us are new to U.S. education and unclear about how to talk with parents or establish classroom management.
- Our students sense your uncertainty around them and to them it can feel like rejection. If you could learn how to greet them in X language, it would mean a lot to them.
- We often feel alone here, like no one understands the challenges we face. The required professional development often applies to English rather than bilingual development.
And the resistance to vulnerability is not limited to teachers. We see it everywhere . . .
- School administrators who’ve inherited dual language immersion programs ignore their unique needs. Instead of educating themselves, they resent the extra work and attempt to operate “business as usual.” Without strong and knowledgeable leadership, DLI programs die.
- Mainstream school families complain that the dual language program gets “too much attention.”
- Community members roll their eyes in the face of DLI education and say under their breath, “everyone speaks English anyway.”
- State education departments require assessment data in English before DLI students are cognitively ready, before transfer of academic concepts from the partner language to English takes place and both languages are more fully developed.
- Schools (even states) implement dual language program models that allocate more time to instruction in English than necessary, limiting the potential for high levels of bilingualism and biliteracy.
We could go on. But, the point here is not to complain that there is resistance. It’s to understand that it comes from a place of vulnerability and to respond accordingly.
