1. Biliteracy Woodland School District 50
Elizabeth A. Szepesi , Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

2. What does Biliteracy mean?
Fundamental Sociolinguistic Premises
Two Languages in an English dominant society
Social and Academic Language
Cultural Norms of Language
How Spanish Works
What can you do to support Biliteracy?
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

3. What does Biliteracy mean
What does Biliteracy mean? Reference: Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
The integration of content and language development
Students learn content THRU language
Students learn to listen, speak, read, and write in all content areas
Students are not referred to as dominant in one language. They are referred to as “bilingual learners”, “dual language learners”, or “two-language learners”
Most literacy program in schools today focus on reading during the language arts period and focus on science or social studies during the science or social studies block.
Biliteracy does not separate the two.
Biliteracy recognizes that students need to L, S, R, and W in all subject areas and in both languages
Once your child enters the Dual Language program they will no longer a dominant language because the goal to have equal proficiency in both languages AND students can now use both languages throughout the day to learn and understand. Ex: math concepts In Spanish and then in English.
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

4. Fundamental sociolinguistic premise #1: Raising Status Reference: Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Spanish in the United States is a minority language within a majority culture
There is a continuum of language learners in our society
Majority and minority does not refer to the number of individuals who speak the language rather it refers to the status of the language.
Implications of the majority language
How to raise the status of the minority language
There is a continuum of languages and language users in our society.
Implications:
Learning English in the U.S. is affirmed by a multitude of structures.
Learning Spanish is not supported in our society for example there is a wealth of professional development and parental resources in English literacy and instruction but not in Spanish.
Our libraries overwhelmingly have English literature but there is not a balance.
Biliteracy balances both languages and gives equal statues to both and almost over compensates for these challenges by raising the status of Spanish to be higher than that of English.
The context and support that allow language majority speakers to become literate in their own language does NOT exist for language minority students.
How to raise the status of Spanish:
environmental print in Spanish (newsletters, bulletin boards, all other print created in schools)
announcements, Spanish speaking public presenters
faculty meetings in Spanish for Spanish speaking teachers
PD on teaching Spanish literacy
offer Spanish classes for parents
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

5. Fundamental sociolinguistic premise #2: The Multilingual Perspective Reference: Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Students use all of the languages in their linguistic repertoire to develop literacy
Two are more languages are an asset and complement each other
Dual Language Learners are compared to other Dual Language Learners in their progression of learning content and language acquisition
Teacher allow and encourage the use of one language to understand the other language. This is called metalinguistics.
“Translanguaging” is valued. This is when a student combines both languages.
This is a multilingual perspective on bilingual learners, meaning that we can longer separate the two languages within a child.
Metalinguistics looks and the similarities and differences of both languages to learn each of the languages.
Monolingual perspective:
A monolingual perspective looks at the 2 languages as separate
They compare the students to monolingual speakers in each language
These educators generally see the students’ use of a second language as a deficit and label their performance in both languages as “low”
They label a language as ”dominant” instead of looking at the strengths in both langauges and how each these skill sets and can help the other
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

6. Fundamental sociolinguistic premises #3: Rules Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Spanish and English are governed by distinct linguistic rules and cultural norms
Understanding the similarities and differences helps educators deliver a more authentic, coherent, and successful literacy experience
Translated materials are avoided and educators encourage the metalinguistic analysis of language in class
Linguistically there are similarities and differences between the two target languages and the cultural norms of those who them based on the context of the conversation.
Cultural Norms:
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

7. Two languages in an English Dominant Society Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Teaching biliteracy in Spanish and English is unlike
Teaching English literacy to monolingual English speakers in the U.S.
Teaching Spanish literacy in a Spanish speaking country
Students come with a wide variety of learners with a wide variety of skills sets in Spanish and English.
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

8. Social and Academic Language
Educators recognize the important distinction between “social language” and “academic language” in the acquisition of learning a language
Social Language
Informal conversation used with family and friends when we communicate about everyday topics
Academic Language
Includes many different “registers”
Social Language register: orally (ex: in person or over the phone) and written (ex: texting or notes)
Academic Language:
A register involves consideration of the context
Orally and written
ex: two lawyers discussing legal matters use the register of law
Ex: during science the teacher and students use the register of science
-There is specific vocabulary of each register and or special meanings
Social and Academic language are both important: This is a holistic view of language and literacy and encourages teachers to build on ways students use language informally to build formal language.
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

9. Cultural Norms of Language: Neither is better than the other Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Spanish
English
Communication is circular and indirect
Academic context: expect students to analyze and critique text, but less emphasis on it
Flexible with times
Concerned with present and making time for family now. (question learning as apposed
Less confrontation and first establish trust
Eye contact is disrespectful
Communication is linear and direct
Academic context: require independent learners to analyze, question, and critique knowledge in texts
Time is not as flexible
Concerned for the future and plan for family
Direct and confront concerns then establish trust and a relationship
Lack of eye contact is disrespectful
Ethnographers of communication use the SPEAKING grid to analyze speech events. Using the speaking grid can help one understand the difference in cultural norms
Compare speech and the underlying cultural norms: Pass out Speech Event
Cultural norms plan a role in language learning as apposed to accepting the information and teachers use this in teaching students to become biliterate.
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

10. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

11. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

12. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

13. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

14. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

15. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

16. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

17. A Comparison of Initial Literacy Development Skills between Spanish and English Teaching for Biliteracy by Karen Beeman and Cheryl Urow
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

18. What we do to support Biliteracy?
GLAD strategies
Biliteracy Unit planning and template
Authentic materials
Culturally responsive materials
Use of the best Spanish literacy practices (#1-#8)
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education

19. What Can You Do to Support Biliteracy
You already are supporting Biliteracy by being a part of the Dual Language Program
Watch movies, cartoons, and informational television in Spanish
Listen to music in Spanish
Spanish play dates
Library books in Spanish
Cultural experiences: museums, restaurants, plays
Elizabeth A. Szepesi, Coordinator of Dual Language and Bilingual Education