Module 1: Rationale for Teaching English in PR (PDF)

Module 1: Rationale for Teaching English in PR ============================================== Lesson 1: Lesson Title ====================== ### Lesson Objectives **At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:** - analyze the rationale for teaching English in Puerto Rico. - briefly...

Module 1: Rationale for Teaching English in PR ============================================== Lesson 1: Lesson Title ====================== ### Lesson Objectives **At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:** - analyze the rationale for teaching English in Puerto Rico. - briefly review an overview of the historical development of the English program ***Lesson Introduction*** This lesson presents the historical view of teaching English in Puerto Rico. Also, we discuss teaching English in the context of Puerto Rico, towards defining teaching as a second language, and the dilemma between 2L or bilingualism. ### Lesson Content It is important to note, at this time, that English as well as Spanish are the official languages of Puerto Rico. Spanish is the vernacular and the language through which most daily affairs are carried out in Puerto Rico. However, most people accept that adequate English proficiency provides advantages for the citizens in Puerto Rico. Among the most important reasons for learning English from a social, political and economic perspective are: 1. the strong ties to the United States as a result of the migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States over the years. 2. English is also the preeminent international language in our ever-changing global society and the language of the information age. 3. English has become a language of social empowerment. Gatekeepers that permit socioeconomic mobility in this society use English as a "door-opener". Learning English is beneficial for those who want to grow personally. It serves as a measure for increased enlightenment, social, emotional and moral development, value development and appreciation, self-awareness and self-confidence. Culture is embedded in learning a language; therefore, learning English can assist the learner in becoming more culturally aware. Students can learn to appreciate and respect the cultures of the English speaking world albeit through a second language. There is strong evidence that learning a second language also has cognitive advantages. Critical thinking, creativity, and mental flexibility are enhanced and intellectual ability is increased in the process of second language learning. In addition, language is indigenous to all learning that takes place and is the means by which students assimilate and give meaning to their experiences. Mastering two languages enriches and expands their learning experiences. ### Teaching English in Puerto Rico: A Historical View The teaching of English in Puerto Rico has long been affected by the close connection that exists between language and identity and between a person's vernacular and his/her feelings of belonging to a specific language community. In the same way, there is also a close link between a country's language policy and its future development - political, cultural, economic and otherwise. Once a child has developed a vernacular language identity by school age, any attempt to modify this identity to include another language creates conflict in the second (or foreign) language (L2) learner and needs necessarily to be followed by conflict resolution. To understand and deal with the present situation of teaching of English in Puerto Rico, we need to look briefly at what has happened over the past 100 years. The time between the beginnings of the American presence in Puerto Rico in 1898 until today can be roughly divided into two periods. From 1898 to 1947, the island's educational policy was largely determined outside of Puerto Rico by the federal government; after 1947, Puerto Rico achieved educational and policy autonomy. Let's take a brief look at what occurred between 1898 and 1947. During this time period there were six major changes concerning the language of instruction in the public school system. These changes correspond to the Commissioner of Education at the time. **1. Dr. Martin Brumbaugh** - **Commissioner of Education 1900-** English and Spanish were taught as subjects beginning in the first grade. Spanish was the language of instruction in grades 1-8. English was the language of instruction in grades 9-12 and Spanish was taught as a school subject. **2. Dr. Roland Falkner-** **introduced the second major change in   1905-  **English was the language of instruction in all grades of the public school system. **3. Dr. Paul G. Miller -** introduced **the third major change in 1916-** Spanish was the language of instruction in grades 1-4, and both languages, English and Spanish, were the languages of instruction in grades 5-12. The study of English and Spanish as school subjects continued in both elementary and high school (1-12). **4. Dr. Jose Padin-** **introduced the fourth major change in 1934-** Spanish was the language of instruction in grades 1-8. He   doubled the time dedicated to teaching English as a subject from 45 minutes to 90 minutes in 7-8 grades. **5. Dr. Jose M. Gallardo -** **introduced the fifth major change in   1937-** Spanish was the only language of instruction in elementary school (1-8). Both English and Spanish were used as languages of instruction in high school (9-12). **6. Dr. Mariano Villarongo - introduced the sixth major change in 1947-** *Spanish was the language of instruction in all grades (1-12) and English was to be taught as a subject in all grades beginning in first grade. In 1948, he initiated the English program which is still in effect today.* As you can see the first fifty years of teaching English on the Island have been a challenge. The issues that were repeatedly raised and addressed throughout this time centered primarily on the following three key questions:\ (1) What should be the language of instruction in the public school system?\ (2) What should be the language of the textbooks?\ (3) At what age should the teaching of the second language begin? English was taught in Puerto Rico's schools prior to 1947. However, from 1948 on Spanish was the language of instruction and English was taught as a school subject. The ultimate purpose for teaching two languages in public schools was to make the people in Puerto Rico bilingual. A myriad of decisions and reversals, and the resulting uneasiness and concern about the success of the teaching and learning of English has had a de-stabilizing effect on Puerto Rico. It lingers on even until today. To further aggravate the situation, one has to understand that the teaching of English as a second language has been seen as having been imposed on the public school system by an outside entity in Puerto Rico. This coincided with the establishment in 1903 of the University of Puerto Rico, a place where Puerto Rican scholars and independence supporters were said to have a firm base. Teaching English has been rejected as having a "foreign influence" and it has been seen as a major threat to the very core of Puerto Rico's cultural and linguistic identity. A detailed account of the historical development of the teaching of English in Puerto Rico has been given in other contexts and is referred to for further study of the subject (e.g. Lugo & Median, 2003; Buhring, 1999; López Laguerre, 1997; Pousada, 1996; Resnick, 1993; Schweers, 1993; Epstein, 1970). Lugo and Medina (2003) quote Babin (1983 \[sic\], p. 231) who stresses that "the language policy has been at the core of the cultural struggle throughout the 20th century" (p.3). They continue to point out that the educational system in Puerto Rico has been guided by two objectives, namely to eradicate illiteracy and to develop a bilingual person while preserving his/her vernacular language, Spanish. According to Lugo and Medina, "One of the pitfalls of the language policies that have significantly contributed to the apprehension toward the learning of the language has been the isolation of the historical viewpoint of how and why we have had to learn English in Puerto Rico" (p.3). In the view of many English as a second language (ESL) professionals in Puerto Rico, the disconnection from our historical reality and the disbursement of related language policies have deepened the controversy and created a myth surrounding the teaching of English. The myth imposed the belief that learning English meant losing their vernacular and consequently their identity. These circumstances led to the learner's resistance to visualize the possible positive consequences of acquiring the language of the dominating country. (pp. 3-*4)* In her study, Lopez Laguerre (1997) surveyed and analyzed public school teachers' attitudes towards specific aspects of bilingualism as a socio-linguistic phenomenon and investigated some elements of public education in Puerto Rico with regard to language. Her study revealed that although bilingualism seems to be rejected in its broad form, the importance of learning English is mostly accepted. She concluded "\[if\] it is true that Puerto Ricans reject bilingualism for Puerto Rico in its broad form, it is also true that they accept the need to learn English" (p.226). In a similar note, Velez (2002) pointed out that numerous studies repeatedly demonstrate the high value assigned by island residents to learning English \[especially the upper and upper middle classes\]. It is assumed that to obtain a college degree, to enter a promising and high-paying profession, and to take full advantage of the opportunities garnered by studying, residing and working in the United States, high proficiency in Englishis a prerequisite. (p.8) However, he noted, bilingualism for the lower middle class and the working poor is an "unrealistic and unachievable goal" (ibid) at this point. ### English in Puerto Rico: Is it a Bilingual, Foreign, or Second Language Teaching Environment? Definition of bilingualism The meaning of the term "bilingualism" is highly subjective and in need of clarification in this context because it is used to refer to varying degrees of language proficiency in very different linguistic contexts. Moreover, it generates a highly charged emotional, political and socio-psychological connotation (Crystal, 1994) among people. Harris and Hodges (1995) define the term bilingualism as "the ability to speak or understand with some degree of proficiency a language besides one's native language" (p. 19). ### Discussion within the context of Puerto Rico Although the teaching and learning of English has been a priority in terms of allocated funds and policy making over the past 100 years, various studies have shown that the results of these efforts have not been encouraging and are rather limited. Resnick (1993) indicated, that the conflict between "government planning for bilingualization and social pressure for monolingualism" (p. 259) impedes the use of the psychologically highly charged term "bilingual". Therefore, "Puerto Rico's language policy must acknowledge and justify the primary status of Spanish as the ancestral vernacular and the \[primary\] language of normal interaction in almost all domains" (Velez, 2002, p.8). However, he continues, "the official status of English \[as a second language\] should be recognized" because of its political, financial and economic ties to the United States (ibid.). As mentioned above, English has been taught in Puerto Rico "as a second language" (ESL). The teaching and learning environment of English does not fall within the traditional ESL teaching paradigm. Generally, the target language is not spoken and used for communication outside the classroom. However, by moving away from the traditional definition of teaching and learning ESL and stressing the meaning of "second\* as **sequential** in terms of the timing, i.e., sequence of language acquisition, we can move away from the traditional concept and its various emotionally and politically charged connotations. In this way, we can clarify and establish the order of acquisition of L1 (Spanish first) and L2 (English second) in Puerto Rico. Thus, a chronological sequence is established and the term ESL becomes more neutral and less politically and sociopsychologically charged. As Buhring (1999) stated *the first step in obtaining better results in the teaching and learning of English in Puerto Rico would be to "liberate" second language teaching and learning from the paralyzing effects of politics and to clarify its goals in a more realistic and less threatening way. (p. 5)* ### Solving the dilemma, a formidable task More importantly, the teaching and learning of English as a second language according to Lugo and Medina (2003) should be "firmly established on the basis of its constituents" cultural, intellectual and affective needs and \... appropriately clarified, disseminated and assessed continuously" (p. 14). The teaching and learning of English in Puerto Rico must move away from the concept of a subtractive approach. The pedagogy must vigorously move forward towards an additive approach where the learning of English as a second language is genuinely perceived as desirable additional knowledge, which will open up new opportunities for learners, and will not be seen as a socio-psychological or political threat. This is a formidable task. It will take time and can only be successful through a sincere commitment and a collective effort by all those involved in the educational process. More importantly, this effort has to be de-politicized, mutually agreed upon by political, educational and community leaders. Above all, it must be planned and given a chance over time. ### Curriculum Resource or References Barreto, A. (2020) *The politics of language in Puerto Rico: Revisited*. University Press of Florida Correa, S. R. (2019). *The evolution of the English language in daily life in Puerto Rico: A socio-historical analysis of recent events and their impact*. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (Puerto Rico).***\ *** ### Lesson Summary - *English as well as Spanish are the official languages of Puerto Rico.* - Learning a second language also has cognitive advantages. Critical thinking, creativity, and mental flexibility are enhanced and intellectual ability is increased in the process of second language learning. - English was taught in Puerto Rico's schools prior to 1947. However, from 1948 on Spanish was the language of instruction and English was taught as a school subject. - Learning of English as a second language is genuinely perceived as desirable additional knowledge, which will open up new opportunities for learners, and will not be seen as a socio-psychological or political threat ### Lesson Activities or Assessment **Continue to next lesson.**