Last semester I took a course titled “Bilingualism in the Spanish Speaking World” through the Spanish department with Professor Alba-Salas. This class opened my eyes to the encompassing and expansive nature of the concept of bilingualism. I think I found it to be particularly fascinating after studying abroad and more fully understanding what it means to use two languages on a daily basis and to encounter errors and challenges that come with transferring between the two languages in my brain. In class we discussed many of the cognitive benefits that can come with being bilingual, but also about the negative outlook that so many people have toward bilingualism in the United States and how that can contribute to a deficit-based lens among bilingual people and the wider community.
I am currently taking “Seeking Justice” with Professor Michelle Sterk Barrett, in which we are to complete a CBL justice-based project to be accomplished throughout the semester. I have worked with Spanish-speaking populations in Worcester since my first semester at Holy Cross and became eager to share the knowledge I had gained through the “Bilingualism” course with all those I knew as bilingual (or multilingual) in the Worcester community. My goal was to promote bilingualism among the youth I have come to know at Ascentria Care Alliance and the New Citizens Center Young Adults Program. My first step in achieving this CBL project was to meet with Professor Alba-Salas to craft a workshop around the theme of bilingualism to be presented at Ascentria during one of our mentoring workshop sessions. Professor Alba-Salas came to the session with us and helped me to explain the myths of bilingualism and how we can work to promote asset-based views of bilingualism for ourselves and society.
