As I read the readings for this week, it made me realize the importance of introducing topics such as race and stereotypes in my future language classrooms. Kubota focuses on race and racism in the TESOL environment in his article. Researchers in the TESOL area have not fully addressed topics such as race, racism and racialization. Race, racialization, and racism can shape the social, cultural, and political dimensions in the TESOL environment. We can investigate how these topics influence our children's lives by using them in instructional practices within the classroom. Race is a big word that nobody really wants to mention because of the social conflicts it may bring, but as teachers we need to analyze this word with our students to make them be aware of the conflicts they might encounter in the future. We dont want them to end up creating solidarity and resistance towards the new culture/community. We want them to embrace, as individuals, what they bring to this new culture, such as their identity, personality, language, ethnicity, race, culture, etc., as well as appreciating what the new culture/community brings to them. Kubota mentions that racism creates assumptions of language proficiency. This is sadly true, most individuals are not racist, but the structured ideas that shape social reality makes them create these assumptions based on people's race. Another reason why we should discuss race and its issues with our future students is the fact that they might encounter racial discrimination in the workplace. Our students are most likely to encounter prejudice, stereotypes and racial discrimination when finding a job, during an interview and from coworkers in the workplace . It is hard to avoid this type of situations, as teachers we need to prepare our students for these issues as well as helping embrace their own race and ethnicity. They are all unique in their own ways, and they should be proud of who they are no matter the differences.
Kumar talks about "Problematizing Cultural Stereotypes in TESOL" mainly focusing on the Asian (Indian and Chinese) community. People usually construct stereotypes of people based on their race. There are three big stereotypes that relate to the Asian community mentioned by Kumar: obedience to authority, lack of critical thinking skills, and how Asians dont participate in classroom interaction. I think people usually get these ideas from the media and technology. These stereotypes are not true for most Asian students. Every student is different no matter their race or ethnicity around the world, like in American classrooms. There are obedient kids as well as aggressive ones in every classroom around the world. Asian students can rebel against their teachers. Also, just because Asian students in TESOL classrooms in the US might not be comfortable speaking in front of other classmates, it does not mean they lack classroom interaction or critical thinking skills. There are various factors that effect the behavior of every student. Stereotypes should not be part of an ESL classroom. This reading has reminded me the importance of treating and accepting every students as a unique individual and to avoid stereotypes, even small stereotypical comments can hurt someone for the rest of their lives. We need to watch what we say, we need to think before acting.
The last reading I read was the idea of "becoming black" by Ibrahim. This reading was interesting because it discusses how people with dark skin color identify themselves with Blackness and Black English, as well as hip hop and rap from the media. They experience "moments of identification", which means where and how they see themselves by others. Blackness, Black English/BSE, baggy clothing and hip hop/rap become their identity just because these "represent" their skin color. Some African Americans like this type of music and lifestyles, but this does NOT mean that ALL African Americans live this lifestyle, but foreign students with dark skin color feel the need to have a sense of belonging, so they become attached to these types of concepts and ideas (popular culture) that relate to their skin color. They feel the need to follow certain linguistic styles. I think this also depends on the people they hang out with. I have seen this happen to other racial groups as well, such as hispanics/latinos that come from Central or South America and end up speaking and acting like some Mexicans do, such as wearing baggy clothing, mimicking their accents, listening to the same type of music, and living the same lifestyle as they do. In ESL classrooms, we need to help students embrace their own culture, share with others and listen to other classmate's cultures as well. We can create an ESL environment that accepts each other for who they are. We know kids will always need a sense of belonging, a group they feel related to, and to hang out with. As ESL teachers, we dont want to forget this "sense of belonging"/"moments of identification", race, and stereotypes because these are factors that influence students' academic and language achievement. As language teachers, we need to remember these social issues that affect every student's life.
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