Beyond the Language of Adalia: A Novella

Translanguaging... what a peculiar yet remarkable concept

Adalia Rivera, a sixteen-year-old girl from a working-class neighborhood, earns a scholarship to an elite bilingual academy called Colwell Bilingual School in San Juan. Excited but nervous, she arrives at the school only to realize that her English skills, marked by a thick Puerto Rican accent, set her apart from her fluent, polished classmates. Her peers’ casual confidence in both languages and subtle mockery of her accent fuel her insecurity, making her feel like an outsider in a space that was supposed to represent opportunity.

The only solace Adalia finds is in her history class, where Mr. Maysonet uses translanguaging to teach, valuing both of her dominant languages as vital tools for expressing her Puerto Rican identity. Through his encouragement, Adalia begins to see her Spanish skills as a strength rather than a burden. Yet, outside of his classroom, she faces constant pressure to abandon her linguistic roots and conform to the school’s unspoken preference for polished English, even in spaces like her English class, where her teacher openly discourages the use of Spanish.

Will she let the academy’s elitist attitudes diminish her self-worth?

Or will she rise above them, using her literal and metaphorical voice to reclaim her identity and prove her value on her own terms?

Páginas 137 I Edades 13+