The course on Multicultural Issues in Education was very enlightening in that it exposed me to the different categories we use to classify individuals. It is unfortunate that we have the need for such categorizations, but it is nonetheless important to recognize these different groups and the ways in which they are underrepresented, especially at the community-college level. In this course we discussed issues that many of our students face due to a lack of sensitivity toward them as a result of being of a different age group, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic and/or linguistic background. Even though many instructors address the importance of embracing and addressing the needs of a diverse student population, this class actually had us look at the disparities faced by minority groups and in what ways we, as instructors, can help to improve their educational experience.

            The unit on linguistic diversity was the one that grabbed my attention the most because it correlated with my area of study. In my community-college courses, I have presented the material using a formal register of Spanish. However, I have found it essential to also point out the informal registers used in different Spanish-speaking communities. I have taught my students that in the workplace, one should aim to use a formal register. In fact, in Spanish there is a separate pronoun, usted, with its own set of conjugations that convey this speech formality. However, with a friend or family member, the use of an informal register is more appropriate; in Spanish, the pronoun tú shows a sign of closeness and familiarity that one has with the speaker. In order to help students grasp the concept of formal and informal speech, I connect it with English and bring up the different types of speech registers that we utilize on a day-to-day basis.

Some of our students lack the proper linguistic skills needed to perform well in formal situations, i.e., during a job interview. Therefore, not only have I tried to prepare them to speak appropriately in formal Spanish contexts, I have also instilled in them a sense of professionalism and the proper linguistics cues needed for situations in which a formal register of English is required. Unfortunately, linguistic diversity is still not appreciated and is instead used to mark someone’s social class. Nevertheless, I have encouraged my students to also embrace their dialectal differences as it is a sign of one’s culture (see Kottak & Kozaitis, 2012) even though they should always be aware of what register is most appropriate at any given time.