Is the Way New Mexico Educates ELLs Fundamentally Different from the Rest of the Country?

-An Interview with Phyllis Martinez

With a long history of multiculturalism, New Mexico maintains a strong commitment to learning two languages. The goal of ELL programs in the state is for all students to become bilingual and biliterate, supported by the underlying belief that "he/she who speaks two languages is worth two people" ^{[1, p.7]}. Currently, New Mexico enrolls roughly 65,000 ELLs, most of whom are educated in bilingual education programs. Almost all of these students come from a Latino or Native American background.

Recently the ELL Outlook spoke with Phyllis Martinez, State Coordinator for Title III in New Mexico, about the ways New Mexico continues to be different from other states, especially in light of the English-only movement that has swept through California, Arizona, and Massachusetts.

ELL Outlook™ : Why do you think that New Mexico is more accepting of bilingual education than other states?

Martinez: I think both the laws and the culture have had a lot of impact. .. and of course the state constitution, which set the basis for all of our laws. One of the differences is that we fund all bilingual programs instead of just ESL programs. In fact, if a school district only has an ESL program, it is not fundable through state funding. Every program must have home-language instruction. The state constitution and legislature wanted to ensure that the diversity and cultures of New Mexico were to be protected.

ELL Outlook™ : Is this something New Mexico has always been strong in?

Martinez: Yes. It goes back to the constitution of 1911 and one of the first bilingual acts in the nation. In 1941, a bill was passed that required that Spanish be taught in all public schools. In 1968, the State Board of Education developed the first state board of education policy on bilingual education in the nation. After that there were several other bilingual education initiatives. Last year the state legislature passed HB 212, which requires that children in grades 1-8 be given instruction in core areas and "a language other than English." As you can see, the state has a very solid history on bilingual education that continues. In the past 15 years, New Mexico has specifically addressed Native American languages by including a Native American component for language and culture, and licensure of both teachers and tribal members for instruction in the language and culture of those tribes.

ELL Outlook™ : What about heritage language revitalization? Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Martinez: The goal is to ensure that students who have lost their home language are given the opportunity to revitalize that language. Parents are very supportive of that effort because they realize that the culture is lost when the language is lost. Heritage language programs, appropriate to the specific school and/or district, include Native American languages and the Spanish language, including a dialect that is found in northern New Mexico and parts of southern Colorado that is about 400 years old.

ELL Outlook™ : Are the ELLs in New Mexico generally Native American and Spanish-speaking? Are there any other cultures represented?

Martinez: The ELL group in New Mexico is made up of Native Americans from eight different language groups-Navajo, Mescalero Apache, Jicarilla Apache, Zuni, Keres, Tiwa, Towa, and Tewa-and the students from the Spanish language group.

ELL Outlook™ : Do you think having relatively few languages in your state, compared to other states with a lot more languages spread among more groups, has made it easier to offer bilingual programs?

Martinez: Possibly.

ELL Outlook™ : Has there been any pressure from the New Mexico Legislature or Governor Richardson to go the English-only route?

Martinez: Every year there may surface some type of movement, but the majority of our lawmakers, regardless of ethnic background, support the initiatives that are currently in place. There is overwhelming public support that continues to want to see New Mexico as a diverse state that is representative of many cultures and languages.

ELL Outlook™ : Are there any special programs that you offer in New Mexico that you are especially proud of?

Martinez: New Mexico has many exemplary programs, some of which are dual-language programs. The state has just begun the data collection effort to determine program effectiveness. Since this is baseline data, the effectiveness will not be demonstrated until after the second year of implementation.

New Mexico has one program model that most states don't have. That is the "enrichment model". .. which is basically for fluent English proficient students and further proficiency in the home language.

ELL Outlook™ : How exactly does that work?

Martinez: Students take a home-language component that can be a one-hour program. A second component can include the home language in the content area. The state has five models that are funded.

ELL Outlook™ : What are some challenges specific to teaching ELLs in New Mexico?

Martinez: Ensuring that teachers are utilizing ESL instructional strategies in their teaching in all content areas, not just language arts. With the huge number of ELLs that New Mexico has, teachers at all levels and in all subjects must implement those strategies. Because of the English-only movement that prevails across the U.S., there is always the need to validate bilingual education programs. The bilingual education community must struggle with that on a yearly basis.