Dr. Lillian Gorman (Part 2): Grow Your Own Bilingual Teachers

In this episode, we continue our discussion with University of Arizona Professor and native neomexicana, Dr. Lillian Gorman, whose book, Zones of Encuentro: Language and Identity in Northern New Mexico, which was published recently by the Ohio State University Press. We ask her about responses her research participants provided that amounted to differences of perception and opinion regarding the identification and use of varieties of Spanish in northern New Mexico and in Mexico. We discuss the phenomenon of language loss and whether it is being addressed, consciously or unconsciously, within families and between community members. Dr. Gorman describes the courses she teaches at the University of Arizona that are oriented toward heritage language speakers of Spanish, as well as toward preservice teachers who may ultimately teach students who bring to class distinct varieties of Spanish. Finally, we learn about an interaction in Spanish between Dr. Gorman, her younger cousin, and the great Arizona Spanish heritage language educator, Señor Adalberto Guerrero, who is still engaged in the field of education at the age of 95. Our terms for this episode are language competence and language performance.