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Theses/Dissertations

2009

Georgia State University

Acculturation

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Full-Text Articles in Education

On The Border Of A New Culture: Spanish-Speaking Middle School Newcomers' Perceptions, Expectations And Attitudes, Margo H. Williams Jul 2009

On The Border Of A New Culture: Spanish-Speaking Middle School Newcomers' Perceptions, Expectations And Attitudes, Margo H. Williams

Middle-Secondary Education and Instructional Technology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the Spanish-speaking newcomer middle school students’ perceptions of school, expectations from school, and attitudes toward school. Of particular concern was how these students’ perceptions, expectations, and attitudes developed over a 5-month period. The theoretical framework for the study was derived from Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory; second language acquisition (SLA) theories (Dulay & Burt, 1973; Krashen, 1982; Johnson, 1996; Long, 1985; Schumann, 1978); and Norton’s (1997) theory of identity, investment, and imagined communities. The participants in this study were 4 Spanish-speaking middle school students enrolled in an Intensive English to Speakers of Other …