Educators are using música Mexicana to teach Spanish and strengthen their students’ cultural roots

As a proud descendant of Latin American heritage myself, I wholeheartedly applaud the innovative approach taken by Wendy Ramirez and her company, Spanish Sin Pena. The use of música Mexicana as a tool for language learning is not only effective but also deeply personal and meaningful.

On a recent excursion arranged by Spanish Sin Pena, the online learning platform she helped establish, Wendy Ramirez, a co-founder, personally observed the influence of Mexican music on her students – most being of Latin American heritage. Towards the end of an exhausting day trip in Oaxaca, Mexico, their host company had organized, everyone gathered at a neighborhood karaoke bar to celebrate an instructor’s birthday. Recognizing the educator’s fondness for singing, the students decided to display their newly gained language courage by crooning some favorite tunes.

That evening, everyone chose a tune to sing, as per Ramirez’s statement. One of our LA students serenaded us with a Juan Gabriel song. It was an incredibly enjoyable night.

Ramirez’s Spanish learning platform, designed as a secure, impartial environment for individuals at any proficiency level seeking to master Spanish, is named “Spanish Without Embarrassment.” This service provides online classes that delve into the analysis of popular Mexican music by artists such as Vicente Fernandez, a marachi icon, and Selena Quintanilla, the late Tejano queen.

Spanish Sin Pena’s educational services, which incorporate music, show how teachers are leveraging this genre to instill both language proficiency and cultural understanding among an increasing number of American-born Latinos who aren’t fully conversant in their ancestral tongue.

Based on a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, the proportion of Latinos who speak Spanish at home has decreased over time. In 2000, it was at 78%, but in 2022, it dropped to 68%. Among those born in the U.S., the percentage dipped from 66% to 55%.

David E. Hayes-Bautista, head of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA, points out that the decline in Spanish language proficiency among U.S. Latinos is not a new phenomenon. Furthermore, he notes that there is extensive documentation of cultural shaming faced by Latin American immigrants following each migration wave within this country.

Hayes-Bautista refers to a situation he terms the “Latino double imposter syndrome.” In the United States, he has never felt fully American due to his Mexican heritage. Conversely, when in Mexico, he does not feel genuinely Mexican because of his American identity.

Ramirez aims to aid the burgeoning number of second and third-generation Latinos, who constitute the majority of the overall U.S. Latino population, in rediscovering their musical heritage and ancestry as a means of connection to their language and roots.

Ramirez stated, “We continue to foster a tight-knit group where we help each other learn and advance in the language. Notably, music has always been an integral aspect of people’s lives, and it’s been embedded in our learning materials from day one.

Mark Yanez, as a student of Spanish Sin Pena, shared that his ability to converse fluently and his link to his Mexican roots grew more robust following a seminar where they analyzed Gabriel’s song lyrics and explored aspects of his life.

At the onset of the pandemic, Yanez enrolled in online Spanish classes, both beginner and intermediate levels. His motivation stemmed from difficulties in conversing with his grandparents during video chats they established to uncover their ancestral history. Upon discovering a class centered around “El Divo de Juárez”, a favorite of his grandmother who was an accomplished storyteller, he seized the chance to master the language under a skilled linguist.

As Yanez expresses, this journey into Spanish through music has profoundly transformed my bond with my mother and grandmother. It’s an unexpected pathway to connectivity, if you will, that unfolds via the medium of art.

Guillermo Gonzalez, head of the mariachi music program at James A. Garfield High School, shares that the Los Angeles Unified School District has assisted students in enhancing their Spanish skills and exploring their heritage through K-12 mariachi classes available in certain schools. The mariachi program at Garfield High was established in the 1990s but had to cease operations due to budget cuts in 2008. Upon its revival, Gonzalez mentions that more than 30 students signed up for the first year. Since then, the program has expanded and now boasts over 50 students, including an all-female mariachi group.

Gonzalez stated, “I’m not saying we’re the absolute top musicians globally, but what I can instill in them is a deep affection for their own culture. This connection often strengthens bonds with family members and ancestors.

Gonzalez approximates that nearly half of his pupils aren’t proficient in Spanish. To bridge this linguistic divide, he assists students in deciphering lyrics by defining unfamiliar terms and analyzing their meanings with them. He emphasizes the significance of fully comprehending the message a song conveys to accurately portray their culture to listeners.

He mentioned that it provides an avenue for conversation, he added. Many of these children’s parents desire them to return home and serenade. It significantly boosts their self-assurance, enabling them not only to converse but also to sing in Spanish without fretting over mispronunciation.

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2024-09-19 18:35