Abstract
For over four decades, bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals have been vital partakers in the education of English learners (ELs). Scholars have underscored school districts' reliance on them for instructional/learning support and their potential as builders of home-school bridges. Moreover, family-teacher relationships are essential to ELs' positive academic and well-being outcomes. Nevertheless, the paraprofessional's role in bridging relationships between teachers and families of ELs is less understood. This chapter presents a research synthesis of the extant peer-reviewed research literature published in the last 30 years on the role of bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals in promoting more equitable relationships between the families and teachers of ELs. Three main themes emerged, including (a) building trust, (b) connecting families and teachers via linguistic and cultural brokering, and (c) activating biographical community cultural wealth. The findings also highlight the need for positioning relational brokering as equally crucial as linguistic and cultural brokering. Implications for practice and research are addressed.
TopConceptual Framework
Bilingual/Bicultural Paraprofessionals’ Socio-Cultural, Linguistic, and Human Capital Wealth
Highlighting experiential knowledge as a strength, Yosso (2005) conceptualizes various forms of capital or strengths among culturally diverse individuals – embodied in knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts – as community cultural wealth (i.e., aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant). The literature suggests that bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals bring a wealth of assets and resources to students, parents and schools. Nevertheless, they often face professional barriers when attempting to use these strengths in supporting ELs. On the one hand, bilingual/bicultural paraprofessionals (a) exhibit distinct life experiences and insider understanding of their communities; (b) possess in-depth knowledge of students’ languages and cultures; and (c) are familiar with the interactional styles that appear to facilitate ELs’ academic and socio-emotional needs (Abbate-Vaughn, 2007; Ernst-Slavit, & Wenger, 2006; Monzó & Rueda, 2001; Rueda & DeNeve, 1999). On the other hand, their marginalization in schools, such as limited professional development opportunities, and subordinate classification in contrast to the teachers, often mitigates the use of their community cultural wealth (Abbate-Vaughn, 2007; Amos, 2016; Ernst-Slavit, & Wenger, 2006; Lucero, 2010; Monzó & Rueda, 2001; Monzó & Rueda, 2003; Rueda & Genzuk, 2007). Weiss (1994) stated
We would like to advance the cause of constructive marginality and regard such persons as the stockbrokers of the cross-cultural market. We hope to demonstrate that those people-neither here nor there, somewhat betwixt and between, to paraphrase Victor Turner’s liminality (1969:95), can use the concepts of marginality- ambiguity, flexibility, and special knowledge- to reduce conflict and facilitate change, a much desired goal for any educational system. (p. 337)
Despite the challenges of marginalization paraprofessionals face, they still make important cultural and linguistic contributions to schools and communities.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Equitable Family-Teacher Relationships: Trusted, respectful relationships between families and teachers of CLD students that consistently foster communication and collaboration supportive of students’ learning and overall well-being.
Family Engagement: Approaches and practices focused on relationships between families and educators that are ongoing, mutual, build trust and respect, and enable families’ meaningful engagement as partners in their children’s education.
Cultural and Linguistic Brokering: Complex social and linguistic phenomena centered around leveraging socio-cultural and linguistic knowledge and abilities (e.g., biculturalism, bilingualism) to mediate interactions and negotiate meanings. Cultural brokering involves practices aiming at helping others to navigate or understand differing cultural norms and standards. Linguistic brokering focuses primarily on, but not limited to, the communicative tasks of translating and interpreting. Various factors related to the social context, the nature of the interaction, and the participants impinge on cultural and linguistic brokering. Cultural, linguistic, and relational brokering often converge.
Relational Brokering: An involved social phenomenon where mediators activate their wealth of resources to scaffold interactions and assist in growing and sustaining positive relationships between parties. Relational brokering often encompasses cultural and linguistic brokering to nurture a sense of interconnectedness and interdependence.
English Learners (EL): Students of CLD backgrounds who are acquiring English and learning academic content simultaneously.
Bilingual/Bicultural Paraprofessionals: School employees who (a) perform instructional and other duties under the supervision of a teacher or other professional practitioner; and (b) can communicate in at least two languages and function within at least two cultural systems with varying degrees of proficiency.