What a doll can teach us: centering Otomí voices in the world language classroom

What a doll can teach us: centering Otomí voices in the world language classroom

Cover story, The Language Educator (ACTFL), Summer 2026. Written and photographed by Edgar Serrano.

A look at how the Lele doll — handcrafted by Otomí women in Amealco, Querétaro — becomes a lens for teaching culture as identity and resilience, not decoration. Drawn from field research with Otomí artisans and educators in Temoaya and Mexico City, including interviews conducted with community permission in August 2025.

Edgar Serrano is a lecturer of Spanish at the University of Mississippi, President of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL), a board member of the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL-NCLIS), and Executive Director of the Mississippi Foreign Language Association.