Language Diversity in the Classroom - ymerleksi - home

200 Language Diversity in the ClassroomAnother difficulty and, again, it is a regrettably typical one revealedin the foregoing citations also involves ‘the system’. While it is quiteplausible to suggest that empowerment requires some examination of ‘thesystem’, it is not so reasonable to proceed on the assumption that the socialcontext is to be blamed for problems illuminated through testing. This is,admittedly, a delicate matter, for it is a truism that a prejudiced oroppressive society extends a generally deadening hand over its disadvantagedand minority-group segments. But at the same time, it can be alltoo easy to inaccurately lay all problems at the social rather than theindividual foot. The delicacy of the point here is sharpened when oneconsiders that the attempt to lessen the burden of the disadvantagedindividual in this way often proceeds from good intentions; once again,however, it is an example of empowerment-as-compensation. As such, itcan be seen as condescending and demeaning, as actually reinforcing adebilitating scenario of victimization and passivity, as failing to accomplishany real playing-field leveling, as (at best) a delaying tactic ratherthan a solution and, overall, as an example of attitudes and behaviorincreasingly rejected by those most directly affected.Beyond these generalities, we should turn to some more specificeducational programs aimed at speakers of foreign languages: bilingualeducation arrangements of various sorts, immersion education and socalled‘heritage-language’ programs. Baker (2006) provides a very goodsummary of the varieties that exist under these headings, and I will dealwith some of the important issues in the following chapters; here I shallonly make a few remarks about ‘heritage’ languages at school.Heritage Languages in the ClassroomThere are several interesting matters that even a cursory glance at‘foreign’ languages must touch upon. First, of course, are questions aboutthe appropriate treatment of children’s maternal varieties in the classroom:should educational accommodation be made and, if so, in whatway? Second, there are political and ideological issues. Some of thesehave to do with the practicalities of instruction: how best to deal withdialect variations, for instance, but also considerations of costs, beneficiariesand so on. Others involve larger social concerns like culturalpluralism and assimilation. A common argument here, from those whofavor the one-language approach that so often accompanies an assimilationistideology, is that ‘the government’ ought not to use general taxrevenues to support the languages and cultures of minority groups.Third, there are questions of provenance, definition and labelling. In