You won’t find a Lupe in my classroom. You won’t find a Felipe, Margarita, José, Rosa, or even Pedro. That’s because I don’t assign the students in my Spanish class “Spanish names.” So yes, I call on Dylan, Tiffany, Chad, Brett, and Brittany. 
I don’t see the “appeal” of assigning fake names to my students. The first few years I taught, I started the program so students were not accustomed to having Spanish names. When I moved schools, students wondered why they no longer chose a name like they did the previous year.
When students ask me, the conversation usually goes like this:
“Señor, why don’t we have Spanish names?”
“Do you have a ‘Math name’? Does your math teacher call you ‘Hypotenuse?”
“No.”
“Ok, then. When your Math teacher gives you a ‘math name’, and your History teacher gives you a ‘history name’, then I will give you a Spanish name”
I never understood the point of having a special name just for class. I guess my first reason was to make connections with the actual student. I remember when I was in high school I only had Spanish class with certain students. I could tell you their Spanish name, but I had no idea what their actual name was. That just seemed odd to me. Becoming a teacher, I didn’t want to memorize twice the number of names. Call it lazy, but when I meet Danny’s mom at conferences, I want to be sure I am talking about Danny and not Pepe. And just because they are speaking Spanish, doesn’t mean they need a new name. If students go to Mexico, people aren’t going to start calling them “Marta” instead of “Madison”.
Some teachers will argue that having Spanish names is “fun.” Some say it helps students with pronunciation of authentic names. What do you think? Do you give your students Spanish names?
I agree with you. Well-written post, by the way; you eloquently state your point, and provide the rationale to support it. I especially like how you break it down to the students when they ask.
Honestly, I don’t think it’s something that language teachers give much thought to. They do it because, as you say, it’s “fun”, or, it’s the way things have always been done, without any intellectual rationale being applied. Besides, don’t we language teachers have enough work to do? Memorizing two sets of names? I’m not feeling that.
As a student, I always thought it was silly. And I never knew when I was being called on because I wasn’t used to responding to some strange name!
I give my students names only because I teach them Spanish from Kindergarten through 8th grade. I am the only Spanish teacher and they have me and I know them for nine years. SO I use their real names in class in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade and then in 3rd grade….it is a REALLY big deal to them that they get to choose Spanish names in 3rd grade and they LOVE it. So by 3rd grade, I know them and their REAL names. Then I ask them through out the next five years if they want a Spanish name and they always do. Some really identify with the name they choose and keep it year after year after year and then others change their name each year. It is fun. But I have a very different teaching situation than you do. I understand why you would not have your students choose names so that you can REALLY get to know them and remember them.
I have been pondering this issue for the coming year. There are 3 reasons I have done it in the past: 1) introduction to cultural aspect of naming, 2) introduction to phonetics (there was a big to-do with a friend of mine calling a big-boned Jeffrey something too close to “hefty”–though I would say Yefri), and 3) when I made it a choice, 99% of the time, those who took a name did better, usually only those opting out failing. Of course there is no proof of causality, and really not taking a name was probably a symptom of something bigger.
TOTALLY Agree. I refused my ‘Spanish’ name when I was in HS and I don’t give them as a teacher. It is completely unrealistic. When I am traveling in a Spanish speaking country I don’t change my name. I understand why people do it (fun, cultural, etc.) but I feel it puts a barrier between the real students and the teacher. Whenever kids ask me about them, I explain that they have a name and I would like to learn it. I also have about 1/2 heritage speakers who have ‘Spanish’ names anyway. It just feels weird to re-name the anglo speakers and leave the other names alone. Teaching at a very culturally diverse school means that my students and I are exposed to many different and beautiful names from around the globe. I like it that way.
I totally agree with you!! It is twice the amount of work. The only time I did it it took all year to remember all of their names, memorizing 240 names instead of 120 was not fun at all; so I stopped giving names. What I did instead was, to translate just SOME names that were fun to translate. For example I had two students who their names were Jeremy and Zachary and I started calling them “Jeremias” and “Zacarias” by the time I got to know them, because they both rhymed, they thought it was funny and the class started calling them by those names. When other students wanted their names translated I just told them that it can’t be translated, because some really didn’t have a translation. Good Post Sr. Buehler!!
The following was written as a post on teachers.net regarding this topic.
On 8/16/11, Ashley wrote:
> I have had the students choose Spanish names for most of the years that
> I have taught. Yes it is a pain because it’s more names to learn, but
> the fact that the kids love it is enough reason for me. They think
> it’s tons of fun because they get to become someone else in a sense.
> And even when I run into them around town a few years later, I will
> call them by their Spanish name because that’s how I remember them.
> It’s a personal teaching preference, but there are lots of teaching
> aspects that come into play besides just choosing a name. So for my
> class, it makes sense as to why we might do that, as opposed to history
> or math.
My response was:
The only reason you gave was that the students “love it” and think it’s
“fun”. Wouldn’t the students also “love it” if it were done in History or
Math class too? I’m wondering what the reaction would be if other subjects
started doing this. I know it has been done for years and years in foreign
language classrooms, but the question is “Why?”. And does it benefit
student learning?
Really great comment from “John” from http://teachers.net/mentors/spanish/posts.html
“I have never given my students Spanish names, nor will I do so in the
future. The simple reason for this is that they (in 99% if the cases) are
not Hispanic, and I don’t feel it would be right to pretend that they are.
If I were to go to Spain, Mexico, the Dominican, or wherever I would not
expect to be called “Juan.” I am not Hispanic; my name is John. Period. I
also do not wish to be called “Señor” in school for the same reason. I am
not Hispanic, and I don’t pretend to be. Save the “señores” for those who
are. I am a teacher of Spanish, not a Spanish teacher.”
As a beginning teacher, I did this because every Spanish teacher I knew also did it. I never ended up learning many of them, and there was always that student who would pick a name even I had trouble pronouncing. Ugh! No more Spanish names for my students! Thanks for the great explanation of why not! Also, I would love to hear that someone is named hypotenuse in math class! hahaha
¡Qué cosa más rara! Yo soy una profesora de español en Suecia y a mis alumnos los llamo por su nombre y ya. No veo el motivo por el cual tener nombres ficticios. Lo único que suelo hacer es decirles como sonarían sus nombres en español. Claro, siempre y cuando fuese posible.
I loved this post! During my first 4 years of teaching Spanish, I let the kids choose a Spanish name. They were always confused…they didn’t know when I was calling on them; they couldn’t remember their friends’ Spanish names; they were constantly asking which name to put on their papers. I always felt like I had to know both of their names, which was difficult with the number of students we have in our classes. This is the first year I haven’t done Spanish names, and I am LOVING the results. I feel like I can connect better with my students when I can use their own given name. I’ll never go back to the old way!!
Thank you!!!
I have such a hard time remembering the English names, let alone Spanish ones. I haven’t officially had my own classroom yet (only student teaching and long-term subbing) so I don’t have a choice yet, but when I have my own room….
Where did this tradition come from anyway? I’ve never understood it! I teach University level Spanish so we would never give them fake names at that level anyway, but if I tried, they would all think I was crazy! I remember thinking it was fun for about two days in Spanish class in HS. Then it kind of annoyed me. I even had one teacher make fun of a friend of mine because she couldn’t pronounce the name she had picked out for herself correctly. What?! This is supposed to be FUN! Not make the students feel badly about themselves!!! Keep on not giving out names. It’s better in the end!
I have always let students pick Spanish names. Why? Because I loved being “Alfonso” in high school 15 years ago. It was a great alter ego. However, I understand that some kids are very proud of their names and don’t want another name, so I let them know I’ll do my best to pronounce their name but it’s going to be with a Spanish accent, just like when I am in central America most people call me “Yon” instead of “Jon.” I think it’s a fun tradition that it lets kids know that in THIS class things are different. In Spanish class we speak Spanish and have names that are Spanish. It doesn’t need to be a negative issue and it’s easy to remember the names if students are only allowed to choose Spanish names that are similar to their own name or at least start with the same letter. I think I will continue this tradition but I appreciate all the different viewpoint and I will not be annoyed if other teacher’s don’t use Spanish names. I do remember though one student who came to tell me he was sad his new teacher wasn’t calling him “Benito” but just Ben. He felt it was weird that this teacher didn’t even address him in Spanish, much less acknowledge that he liked his Spanish name.
Yes, I do – in kindergarten because most of them think it’s part of the “magic” of an immersion Spanish class. It helps create a “this world is different” atmosphere. Their classroom teachers speak to them in English and give them worksheets and homework and make them walk in a straight line to the bathroom. This is not my world. My world is different. My world is Spanish world. Sometimes (two or three last year, I think) a student told me they didn’t like to be called something else, and I immediately switched to their given name.
In high school, I only do it if they ask for one in particular. Usually there’s a story behind it. One student named Christian somehow got the nickname “Coffee for one” which he translated “Café de uno” and wanted everyone to call him that – in Spanish class and out. Last year Oakley wanted to be called Roble because it was the Spanish word for oak, and everyone called Paige ‘página’ for obvious reasons, which she thought was funny, and so sometimes I did too. I called Logan “LoGÁN” because he was interminably mispronouncing the Spanish A. In that way, for my older kids, it’s more like a nickname for Spanish class than a Spanish name.
I couldn’t agree more. What does a Spanish speaker look like? Sound like? I speak Spanish and I don’t have a Spanish name. Why do we assume that every Spanish speaker will be called Jesus or Maria? Thank you for posting, I have never believed in giving my students “spanish names.”
Agreed! I teach French at the university level and my students always arrive and say “Hey, why don’t we choose French names?” I don’t have the time to memorize multiple sets of names for multiple classes. They are not French or Francophone. I’ll pronounce their names as they would be in the French language to help with accents, but no names. “What if I want a French name?” usually gets the response “You can call yourself Thierry if you want, but I’m still going to call you Billy.”
I never liked having a “French” name (it was usually Paulette) in class, and it sure didn’t prepare me for learning to pronounce my real name in French once I actually spent time in France, and learning that it sounded amusing to French-speakers — poli!
Besides, what is a “real” French name, for example, is culturally and socially a bit outdated these days. N’est-ce pas?
I agree. Granted, I teach college, so giving students a French name is a bit less common at that level (though I still have students ask me if they will get French names). My reasoning is that it creates one more barrier to authenticity in the classroom — as though French were just a play-language that we only use in the land of make-believe. If I want my students to engage with the language and imagine themselves using it in their lives, giving them a fake identity is not the right way to start — fun though it may be.
I teach first year Spanish (and used to teach French I-IV). I always enjoyed choosing my name in high school French and Spanish classes because I’m not particularly fond of my English name. I don’t know why, but I never expected to continue using foreign names when I went to college.
This is my eleventh year of teaching and I still plan to allow my students to choose a name although I’ve noticed a drop in students’ willingness to embrace their names. My students used to have fun choosing them, calling on classmates, and telling me they put their foreign name on their science homework; not so much anymore.
So why continue then? Because some still embrace it, or at least tolerate it. I also introduce it to them as a way to get their brain into Spanish mode. Finally, I do it for my sanity. I have few problems learning their English first and last names as well as their Spanish first names. Don’t get me wrong, there are always a couple each year that I struggle with, but I eventually get it. I allow them to choose ANY name with a couple of rules. If it’s close to their English and they want it, they have dibs. Otherwise they can take ANY name with one other stipulation — no repeats within their class. This eliminates the problem of having Brittany, Britney, and Brittnie in the same class or Casey and Kasey, one a boy and one a girl. So yes, I have to learn extra names but in the long run it makes it easier to address students in class. After the first few weeks I am always able to address my students by both their English and Spanish names, even if it takes me a second to switch gears.
When I taught upper level French classes, picking a name was always something the kids looked forward to because I would allow them to choose anything they wanted. I’ve had students named “Toe,” “Bush,” “Grapefruit,” “Woof-woof,” “Squirrel,” and because she figured it out on her own I even had a “Bite me”!
I tell my students I will give them a Spanish name IF THEY WANT ONE. Some students actually enjoy having a “Spanish” name, so why not? If you’re speaking entirely in Spanish,it does flow more naturally to say “Susana” than “Susan”! Everyone makes a “name card” the first day of class to put on the front of their desk, which makes it much easier for me to learn 30 names!
You make good points. For those who insist on giving names, like me, I just tell kids to choose the closest equivalent from the list I give them. A lot of them buy into that and they don’t choose a name that is far from their real one. If they don’t like the equivalent, I let them choose what they want. It really isn’t a big deal to me even though I have to learn twice the names. I get them eventually.
You could make the same argument for asking for permission to do things in the TL. For example, Est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes? It’s true that you’ll probably never have to ask that, even with a host family. However, in class, it sends a message that you’re interested in them communicating in French and admins like and expect kids to be able to say that.
I do wonder when and why this tradition started though. Other countries don’t seem to do when they are learning another language.
I agree, spanishplans. How did this tradition begin? A bizarre one, I think.
I teach French and I NEVER give a French name. I find it so strange, you don’t get to really know that student if you don’t even refer to him/her by their given name. And in France, if your name is “Amy” they will call you “Aimee” , if your name is “John” they will call you “Jean”. If your name is “Madison”, they will call you “Madison” with a french accent. I want to give students a REAL experience, not a fantasy one that would never exist in real life.
I find this topic interesting. I have been teaching Spanish for almost 30 years. I have always given my students Spanish names. Teaching Spanish in America is an artificial situation to begin with. In many neighborhoods, students speak English, not Spanish. I give them names so that we can create a scenario where Spanish is spoken. We do a lot of things that students wouldn’t do in “real life”. We ask them to speak in Spanish for simple things, like going to the bathroom, sharpening their pencil… do they ask to go to the restroom in “math” language? It is easier to speak without changing to English to say students names. For high school students, I let them choose animal, plant or adjectives to use as names. This widens their vocabulary. Now, in MS, i give them a name that begins with the letter of their first name. If there are repeats, they pick a different name. Learning Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, is a fantasy for them, is that so wrong?
Thank you, Doug – a great response!
I’ve been teaching French for 38 years. My basic premise is to pronounce the names “the French way”. If there is a name like Bryan, I don’t want to say “brilliant” each time I call on him, so then I go to the middle name. For repeat names, I try to call one of the students by a hyphenated name using first and middle together. If a student wants to change his name, I let him, too. I like this topic..
I think in France one would insist on pronouncing it Br-EYE-ann. Anyway, here’s a shot of how many French Bryans there are in France lately. And this name website is a good indicator of how French names are changing. Not just Jean and Pierre anymore!
http://www.aufeminin.com/w/prenom/p2941/bryan.html
This is a great discussion. It is fascinating to see the different perspectives; it does seem that the level at which you teach has a great affect upon what you choose to do.
I have been teaching for almost 20 years, the last 15 teaching K-4 Spanish at our local elementary school. Little kids love to fantasize, play pretend, and are very interested in, and excited about make believe. As they get older, this changes and is funneled into other energies. I think this is part of why we elementary teachers give “Spanish names”, whereas teachers of older students may not. We are still playing with puppets who talk and take trips and send postcards, weaving our imagination into our language use on a daily basis.
I do give Spanish names to my students; however, I don’t do this until Second Grade (we start in Kindergarten). My students are extremely excited to get their “names”, and ask me repeatedly in Kindergarten and First Grade when they are going to get them. However, before they get the names, we have a discussion about what a name is, and what having a ‘Spanish name’ means. I explain this is just for fun in class, but that we all know their real names, which would be used whenever they were with anyone else. Most kiddos understand this difference. (And since I wait until 2nd grade, I know their given names long before the “Spanish names” come along)
I will add that my Spanish and Russian friends ( I speak both, my native language being English) all have “Spanish” or “Russian” names for me… Ju, Julita, Julieta, Yuliya, Yulichka and so on. I find that endearing and very touching.
Julie
I always liked having French and Spanish names in my high school classes. It helped me get into the mindset of the language, and I did – do – feel like a slightly different person when speaking them. In college and beyond, though, it would feel silly.
Hola- I love reading your posts on this topic. This is my 10th year teaching Spanish and for the first 7 years I never did this and thought that it was a silly tradition. When I changed districts- all my new colleagues did this, so I thought I’d give it a try. Their rationale was that when the students come into class that they have a new identity and that they are in a new world. I tried it and the students really did love it. Being Colombian, I know that if they went there that people would most likely not change their name unless it was something like John- Juan, Michael- Miguel but they liked it and I had no problem remember both names- maybe this will change in a few years- who knows.
Now, regarding the topic of the students calling you Señor, I have to respectfully disagree. Even though you are not Hispanic, they are learning how to address an adult in a formal situation and if you went to a Spanish-speaking country they would call you Señor – no?
I agree with you. In any Spanish speaking country people would be called Señor or Señora. It is the polite way.
Hello! I do use Spanish names in my classes, but I don’t have a problem if another teacher chooses not to. My Spanish and French teachers in junior high and high school used them. My college profs did not. When I began teaching, I thought about it and made a conscious decision to use them. Here are the reasons I do:
1. My name is Sharron. It is hard for Spanish-speakers to pronounce. I often go by Sarón when traveling, especially if I am working with children. It is easier for them to say, and it is the word used in the Spanish Bible where the English Bible uses Sharon (a place name). Not a commonly used name in the Hispanic world, but easier to pronounce. Likewise, my friend Keith goes by Roberto. I think his middle name may be Robert.
2. My students struggle with overcoming English pronunciation. By using Spanish names in class, no one has to remember to switch back and forth between the sounds. We walk in the room and use Spanish sounds, except for the times we intentionally switch to English. Hm…perhaps I should intentionally switch and use their English names during that time, too. Hadn’t considered that.
3. I do not assign names; my students choose them. I tell them, “Your parents gave you your first name–you had no choice. Now, for my class, you get to choose your name. You can choose something similar or something completely different. You may change your mind during the first two weeks of class, but after that you keep the name for the rest of the year. If you want to change next year, you will have the same two weeks to make up your mind.” Many of my students use the same name year after year. Others change it up. By third year, for most it has become a part of their identity like anything else about them, as has their blossoming skill in using the language.
I think it is very ethnocentric to believe there is such thing as a “Spanish” name. Of course there are names that are ethnically Spaniard but the vast majority of our “Latino or Hispanic” students (whatever label you chose to give students whose L1 may be either English or Spanish, may be first or second or third generation and have one or both parents of Latin origin) are not Spaniard ethnically. They are diverse and so are all of our students. Names are no longer tied to distinct ethnicity or language…just look at the number of Asian Molly’s or Michelle’s. “Foreign” names should not have to be converted to “American” names (whatever that crap means…I don’t see many Koreans choosing Little Feather-truly American of course..)and our students with non-Latino/Hispanic/Spaniard names should not be choosing a name to use in Spanish class. It is really against most of what we do and know as educators.
I do let them choose Spanish names OR keep their English name (they 100% have the option and usually it’s about a 75/25 Spanish name/regular name split). My name is Nicole and a lot of times when I am living abroad (like I am right now), my friends, professors, etc. start calling me Nicoleta or Nico-le (two syllables) because Nicole just sounds weird in Spanish. I also KNOW that I change as a person when I live in a Spanish speaking country. Our content area is so closely associated with the cultures and countries and peoples, and it extends so far outside the classroom. In HS I LOVED stepping into class and knew that everything was different from the rest of my day — my teachers created a Spanish-speaking world inside the classroom and with that came our different identities. I strongly believe that having a Spanish name made me connect with the culture more strongly, which is why I give my students a choice. Additionally, the list I provide for them to choose from is not an exclusive one — if they have another name they’ve heard I usually let them go with it.
I give the students the option of choosing a name…but they don’t have to, nor do they have to use it once they have chosen one. (They can’t however, CHANGE names). They can use the Spanish name or their given name-the choice is theirs. I don’t really care, but I tell them that when I am speaking Spanish their name may be pronounced differently than they are accustomed to hearing it, due to the different phonics.
BUT, who began the “fiesta” days in Spanish classes? No other content area seems to have this issue, I am new in a district where students expect them and parents complain about them!…just sayin’