ABSTRACT
Imagine that you have been hired as a bilingual science teacher in a school where the majority of students speak Spanish and are learning English as a second or additional language. Because you and your students have access to Spanish and English as languages of instructional conversation, you will need to consider if and how you choose to regulate these two languages in your classroom. Do you insist that your students only use English because that is the school’s “official” language of instruction and you believe that English proficiency is important for their futures in and out of school, or do you allow them to use Spanish because it is the language through which they can most easily communicate their science-learning ideas and insights and you believe permitting their Spanish use fosters a more inclusive classroom community? The answer you come to regarding these questions will no doubt be informed by your school’s language policies, your personal beliefs, and your professional understanding about the goals of science instruction.
