“We have correct English teachers. Why can't we have correct Spanish teachers? It's not acceptable”

Abstract

This research paper examines the narrative accounts of the academic Spanish‐language development of four preservice bilingual education teachers of different backgrounds, including Mexican‐American, white (non‐Hispanic), Mexican immigrant, and the U.S.–Mexico border Hispanic. The purpose of the study is to discover the kinds of educational forces which may impede bilingual education teachers' development of academic Spanish, look at their own perceptions of their Spanish‐language proficiency, and consider how student learning might be influenced. The stories illustrate how few meaningful educational opportunities prospective teachers have to develop academic Spanish‐language proficiency. They also demonstrate how sociocultural context may impede Spanish‐language development. In short, the paper addresses the need for dramatic social and educational changes if bilingual education teachers in the U.S. are to fulfill one of the basic tenets of bilingual education: the provision of native‐language instruction.