Mispronouncing Students' Names: A Slight That Can Cut Deep
 |
Ed
Week: 5.10.2016 by Corey Mitchell
When
people come across Michelle-Thuy Ngoc Duong's name, they often see a stumbling
block bound to trip up their tongues.
The
17-year-old sees a bridge.
A
bridge spanning her parents' journey from Vietnam to the United States.
A
bridge connecting the U.S.-born teen to Vietnamese culture.
A
bridge to understanding.
"My
name is where I come from," Michelle-Thuy Ngoc said. "It's a reminder
of hope."
A
junior at Downtown College Prep Alum Rock High School, a San Jose, Calif.-based
charter school, Michelle-Thuy Ngoc (Michelle knock twee) is among the students
backing "My Name, My
Identity," a national campaign that places a premium on
pronouncing students' names correctly and valuing diversity.
The
campaign—a partnership between the National Association for
Bilingual Education, the Santa Clara, Calif., County Office of Education, and
the California Association for Bilingual Education—focuses on the fact that a
name is more than just a name: It's one of the first things children recognize,
one of the first words they learn to say, it's how the world identifies them.
For
students, especially the children of immigrants or those who are
English-language learners, a teacher who knows their name and can pronounce it
correctly signals respect and marks a critical step in helping them adjust to
school.
But
for many ELLs, a mispronounced name is often the first of many slights they
experience in classrooms; they're already unlikely to see educators who are
like them, teachers who speak their language, or a curriculum that reflects
their culture.
"If
they're encountering teachers who are not taking the time to learn their name
or don't validate who they are, it starts to create this wall," said Rita (ree-the) Kohli,
an assistant professor in the graduate school of education at the University of
California, Riverside. WATCH
01:31
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