Week 4 Response 1: Investment, Oppression, and Critical Pedagogy in the ESL Classroom

Popular Research and Social Transformation: A Community-Based Approach to Critical Pedagogy
by Klaudia M. Rivera


One interesting aspect included in the article, although not stately explicitly, was the particpants' investment in the program.  Many of the women involved were required to attend the ESL class to keep their public assistance, used to raise their families and maintain their homes.  Although it may seem harsh, we can bring out the best in a person (or in a community) through the worst situations.  I believe that because they had financial investment in the class, they were more committed to achieving the curriculum goals.  There is a similar problem that I face at Western Avenue Community Center, where I teach adult ESL classes to native Spanish speakers.  The classes are offered for free, and yet we see minimal attendance and little longevity in our roster of students.  My boss and I have discussed, at length, the various reasons why this could be.  Yet one of the most enduring arguments he made was that people aren't coming because the classes are free.  What?  This seemed counterintuitive to me, and the thought of charging people to learn English seemed awful to me.  The more I think about it, the more I see reason behind his claim.  Perhaps with a small monetary contribution, we would have more students in our ESL classes--but with each decision, we must compromise with our values and ideals.
relation to WACC

Reading this article and seeing how the curriculum was implemented, I wondered, can bottom-up processes ever be inspired by those "outside" of the target group?  This, to me, is a very relevant and worrisome question.  My goal in life is to work alongside both the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking population at a community center setting, creating positive change through educational and spiritual programming.  This is especially important for the Spanish-speaking clientele who are often marginalized in English dominant communities.  As a middle class caucasian woman, will I be deterred from achieving my goals?  Will I be rejected by the community I hope to help?  This is something that particularly interests me and which I would like to study further, reading any scholarly work that deals with this issue as exposed in Paolo Freire's theories of rebellion against the oppressor.  Am I the oppressor?  From my experience working with Spanish-speaking families and individuals in Bloomington-Normal, I have to believe there is truth in both perspectives.  I have seen the walls of race and ethnicity break down as a consequence, yet there may also be evidence of the contrary that I simply do not see.