Cultural exchange: Critical narratives of bilingual teacher experiences in the Texas-Spain Visiting Teachers Program.

摘要

This dissertation study applied a critical multicultural lens to examine the Texas-Spain Visiting Teachers Program and look at issues of language, culture and participation by examining for cultural exchange between those affected by the implementation of the program. Using multiple methodologies—critical ethnography, post-formal inquiry, and narrative methods—the research addressed these questions: (1) What patterns of cultural exchange have emerged during the implementation of the Texas-Spain Visiting Teachers Program? (2) Has the Texas-Spain Visiting Teachers Program supported the position of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)?; The position statement of the NAEYC (1996) set a standard that teachers legitimize “children's home language, respect and value the home culture, and promote and encourage the active involvement and support of all families” (p. 5). Using the NAEYC position statement as a standard for evaluation, the critical narratives of bilingual teacher experiences problematized the use of the Texas-Spain Visiting Teachers Program. The program was designed on the international level for cultural exchange, but a study of how it was implemented in practice shows that it has been used to recruit European teachers to teach standard European Spanish that supports national and state standardized testing. This supports dominant cultural norms through language. Also, the stories revealed how the use of the program in the context of the local dual-language program has contributed to the reproduction of local discrimination patterns.