The Effects of Training in Linguistics on Teaching: K-12 Teachers in White Mountain Apache Schools
TEACHER OPINIONS, ATTITUDES, AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THESE STUDENTS ENGLISH
Observations made by the researcher during their discussions with teachers, community members, students and parents reveal that teachers are concerned with their students’ success. Many feel that students’ lack of knowledge of standard English has prevented them from succeeding in school. Students’ parents often were punished for using Apache and were forced to learn English. They do not want their children to suffer through the humiliation that they experienced when they used Apache, especially in boarding schools. They were faced with harsh punishments, such as having soap placed in their mouths, having to stand in the corner, and other types of sanctions (Riegelhaupt and Carrasco, 2002). During discussions, it was revealed that teachers, whether Apache natives or not, believed that their students English was non-native and deficient. They also believed that students were unable to speak Apache. Many espoused a theory of semi-lingualism (Cummins, 1981; Edelsky et al, 1983; Skuttnab-Kangas, 1984), stating that their students spoke neither Apache nor English. Never did any of them consider the possibility that students may speak a dialect of English that in and of itself warrants respect, and attention. School statistics indicate that their students were limited English proficient. That may be the case as far as their knowledge of an academic, standard English is concerned. Neither the administration nor the teachers tested students’ linguistic abilities for what they knew rather than for what they did not know. These issues prompted discussion and community/teacher information was shared. Native Apache teachers informed others about their own linguistic experiences. These discussions led to increased respect and understanding about the linguistic and cultural circumstances of Apache students in their classrooms.
We provide quotations from teacher journals kept throughout the fall semester, during the course of the Language and Culture Seminar. They indicate that many of these teachers, whether originally from the community or not, had negative attitudes about their students’ English. These quotes also demonstrate what teachers had to say about dialects, bilingualism, code switching and other sociolinguistic phenomena discussed in the seminar.
