Language Brokering Lesson Plan

SBHS – SKILLS April 9, 2014 Language Brokering Lesson Plan

Objectives: The goal of these activities is to help all students gain awareness of their repertoires of linguistic practice by analyzing language skills and practices from outside of the classroom, and to “empower students by helping them to reframe their own abilities and validate them” (Orellana, UCLA 2013). Specific objectives for this lesson include: (a) define concepts of language brokering, cultural brokering, language repertoires b) identify instances of language and/or cultural brokering through using resources provided in class and drawing upon students' own experiences c) analyze instances of language and/or cultural brokering in groups to 'unpack' what is going on and work being done by participants d) reflect upon an experience they have had with language or cultural brokering e) utilize various mediums and modes of communication (visual/spatial, aural, oral, written) to communicate experiences and/or thoughts about language brokering Before students come in:  Arrange desks in U (mentors)  Pull up youtube clips and PPT (Audrey)  List classroom items on board (Audrey)  Have students check in their audio data as soon as they enter the classroom. Each mentor will have a check-in sheet. Students who recorded 20 minutes or less will need to do a second part to their interview. (Mentors and Zuleyma) 1. Introduction (8 minutes)  Check in with students about their interviews  Continue to collect audio data and consent forms.  Make notes on who turned it in – dock points for people who will turn it in Wednesday, but make sure they do so – we have to get the data turned around for Friday.  Ask students how it went... did you learn anything new?  What was challenging about it?  How did consent form go? Give out consent form in Spanish to those who need it.  Audrey will come in Thursday morning to collect data.

2. Quick Recap of Discussion on Monday (5 minutes)  What were some of the things we talked about?  Quick clip of Spanglish: 13:15 – 13: 50 (remember to put on subtitles)  Ask students that today we will think about many different emotional aspects of this. Not just linguistic knowledge, but also task-based knowledge, emotional knowledge – mediation and management!

3. Warm-Up: Journal Entries Group Reflection (10 – 12 minutes)  Have students get into groups of 4 – hand out copies of childrens' journal reflections.  Ask students to follow the PPT prompt and break down the following points of language brokering: ◦ Who is involved? How old are all the participants (more or less)? What roles do they play? ◦ Where is it happening? ◦ What's being brokered? ◦ How does the author (the child) feel about it?  Bring back to large group discussion – asking each group's spokesperson to share. Analyze and compare groups responses on board across different examples.

4. Journal Reflection (10-12 minutes)  Zuleyma introduce activity, and then model what or how to share – also emphasizing they can write about potentially positive emotions as well. ◦ Take a few minutes to list sometimes or places that you have brokered for your family or relatives. ◦ Chose one to write about for 10 minutes. ◦ Were any of these particularly challenging or very successful? ◦ Where, when, who, what, how it made you feel? ◦ How does technology play a role in brokering linguistic events?

5. Breakdown of Brokering (7-8 minutes) Bring it back to a large group discussion. Ask students to share some of their experiences. Help students to recognize and be aware of the immense skill, labor and emotional investment involved with brokering. One way of getting at this might be to ask:  How do you and your family (or anyone you are translating for) work together to accomplish these tasks? What kind of knowledge do you bring to the situation? What kind of knowledge do your parents (or anyone else) bring to the situation?  Are there any brokering events that are particularly challenging for you (cognitively, emotionally, etc.)?  How does technology play a role in brokering linguistic events?  What would happen if you weren't able to interpret in these situations?  How do you feel when you are in a brokering situation?  How do/did you feel afterwards? 6. Read and Discuss Orellana's Book (7-8 minutes)  Pass out sheets with short clips from Orellana's book. Ask students to read passages outloud.  If you haven't brokered before, what has surprised you most about the conversations today?  Did anything surprise you?  Review some misperceptions of language brokering on PPT.  Do you think many people know about language brokering? Or how much work goes into it?  What would you want to tell someone who had never heard of it, or had misperceptions of it?  What do you think are the most important things for people to know about it?  What can others do to help you do amazing brokering?  Highlight potential to turn this into their final project.