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{11.4.2010}

Last spring, I took a literature and literacy course that piqued my interest in working with second-language learners using bilingual picture books. After doing a lot of research on the topic, I came across an article that I feel truly says it all about the incredible power of bilingual children’s literature paired with culturally-relevant drawings and illustrations. Bilingual picture books have the power to promote linguistic and cultural awareness and visual literacy, and help to grow discussions between children and their teachers about written stories and their visual representations.

The article, written by Northern Illinois University professor Chris Liska Carger, is available via the following link:

http://www.indiana.edu/~icp/online%20articles/carger.pdf

Carger makes the connection between the importance of reading aloud to students and the potential of sharing culturally pertinent stories and artwork. Carger discusses his research project in a southwestern Chicago school, where over ninety-percent of the students are of Latino descent, and the impact of using bilingual picture books to inspire discussions about culture amongst the students. Building upon the basics of an elementary art curriculum—the principles of art and design, as well as how art “makes us feel”—Carger creates an environment where children can reflect upon written and visual narratives and develop a sense of personal meaning and self-awareness. This fantastic article reaffirms the notion that bilingual literature has enormous potential to further the literacy development of second language learners and, when bilingual text is paired with quality representations of culture, children gain a greater artistic awareness and imagination.