Fronteras Epistemológicas y la Experiencia Transnacional

Abstract

This reflective article is based on an ethnographic case study of five transnational teachers of English in Mexico. These teachers had acquired English as children of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. At the time of the study, they were living and teaching in their parents' place of origin in rural Mexico. The intent of the article is to examine how borderlands ways of knowing were reflected in their personal and professional lives. The transnational experiences of living in and between nation states appeared at the forefront of their cultural and linguistic practices. They spoke the languages of transnationalism in that they engaged in translanguaging and considered English to be part of their heritage, too. They strongly identified with other transnationals who had similar backgrounds, and as teachers of English, they transformed their classroom into authentic lessons on language and culture. Their borderlands ways of knowing informed their linguistic identity and teaching practices. Keywords: Transnational teachers, borderlands, heritage language, translanguaging ResumenEste artículo de reflexión se basa en un estudio etnográfico de cinco maestras transnacionales de inglés en México. Estas maestras aprendieron el inglés como hijas de inmigrantes mexicanos en Estados Unidos. En el momento en que se realizó el estudio, ellas vivían y enseñaban en el lugar de origen de sus padres, el cual está localizado en zonas rurales de México. El propósito del artículo es examinar las maneras de conocer como las fronteras epistemológicas se reflejaban en su vida personal y profesional. Las experiencias transnacionales de vivir en y entre dos naciones aparecieron en la vanguardia de sus prácticas culturales y lingüísticas. Asimismo, estas maestras hablaban las lenguas

Functional or Neglected Border Regions? Analysis of the Integrated Development Plans of Borderland Municipalities in South Africa

“…Borderlands represent multicultural spaces where cultures meet, and those living on the edges discover common heritages and can construct new ones [16]. In the last three decades, there has been a renewed understanding of borders as more than a consequence of political power but also as a social phenomenon [17,18].…”