Imagine stepping into your first biology class since high school expecting it to be taught in English, only to discover that it is taught in Spanish.
Fresno City College professor Liza Gomez Daglio, one of the instructors who teaches Biology C-1000 in the, is an instructor that teaches her some courses in Spanish, and other classes in English.
She offers a bilingual course with a majority of it taught in Spanish, but some students said that when registering for class, it is not clearly noted on the portal.
Gomez said she makes this clear for her students from the beginning.
“I usually email them 10 to 12 times telling them, if you are not a Spanish speaker this class is not for you,” Gomez said.
This is an easy mistake for students. However it is important to read through section details before selecting a class just because it fits with a schedule, without looking further into the course description.
The comment that is given in Gomez’ course description reads “(La clase es para estudiantes bilingües y se impartirá en español e inglés. This class is for bilingual students and will be taught in Spanish and English.)”
Isaac Martinez, a student taking the course, believes that being on top of the course instructions and emails are important.
“Be aware of your emails because they clarify a lot of things,” Martinez said. “I was expecting a Spanish class because she sent an email, but am pretty sure a lot of people didn’t expect it because half of the class walked out when they realized it was Spanish.”
Students who need a bilingual course may not know about Spanish language classes, which leads them to pick a class that doesn’t fit.
Gomez expressed the concern she has for students who lose the opportunity of taking a Spanish language course meant for them.
“It’s the fact that sometimes some students, which they aren’t very proficient in English, end up in other English sections. And they struggle when we have a good one,” Gomez said.
Other students taking Professor Gomez’s course said that having this class as an option helps them better connect with learning and be confident in their studies.
Maria Martinez, a student from Biology C-1000 said, “For me it’s easier because I’m able to express myself in another language and there’re some things that I do understand in Spanish that I do need some extra help to process in English.”
Another student taking the course, Lupita Coronado said it is comforting to be in a class taught in Spanish.
“You can share stories and a background and it helps to ask questions and want to participate in class,” Coronado said.