Chapter 5:
Language Resources, Linguistic Creativity, and Cultural Funds of Knowledge
Key Points
- Bilingual learners develop and use oral language differently than monolingual learners. Teachers must understand these differences so that they develop appropriate expectations for their students.
- One of the major characteristics of Spanish in the United States is its relationship with English.
- Bilingual learners use variations of Spanish that come from different Spanish-speaking countries.
- Background knowledge is crucial for learning and plays a key role in literacy development. Teachers are most successful when they build on what students already know and can do.
Activity objectives: Participants will:
- Collaboratively complete one Frayer model on chart paper (see below) for one key phrase from Chapter 5. The key phrases are:
- Simultaneous bilingual development
- Sequential bilingual development
- Linguistic Creativity of Bilingual Learners (this has several parts, and may be divided into two groups):
- Code-switching and linguistic borrowing
- Semantic Extension and Calque
- Varieties of Spanish
- Student Background Knowledge/Funds of Knowledge
- Add to other Frayer models during a gallery walk