Latina Dual Language Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices: Transnational Perspectives

Abstract

This ethnographic study explored how the linguistic repertoires of K-2 Latina dual language teachers shape their pedagogical practices within public education on the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, the frontera (Anzaldúa, 1987; Staudt, 2008). Within a transnational context, pedagogical practices related to language use were analyzed drawing from theories of Funds of Knowledge (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & González, 1992; González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005), which values culturally developed pedagogies. The continua model of biliteracy (Hornberger, 2003) offers a theoretical lens through which to see teaching practice in complex bilingual settings. Drawing from sociocultural theory (NLG, 1996; Hornberger, 2004), data collection and analysis of interviews, observations, and artifacts, showed the intertwining of language and identity in practitioners’ narratives and practices. Within the borderlands, bilingualism and biliteracy practices illustrate both structure and agency. Bilingual educators benefit from practice that incorporates the full range of linguistic repertoires. The findings painted a portrait of how DL teachers’ languages, literacies, and identities intertwined to shape their pedagogical practice. The individual and collective stories of DL teachers, indicate that teacher preparation programs need to provide ample opportunities to explore identity formation, develop academic Spanish skills, and increase knowledge about the structure and implementation of bilingual education program models.