Modern Languages Commons^™

Beyond Us-Centered Multicultural Foundations On Race, James C. Jupp, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Our conceptual essay begins with the recognition of the U.S. racialized tragedy and embattled discussions on race. Within this tragedy and embattled discussion, we attempt to renew and reinvigorate authentic, dialogic, and vulnerable exchanges on race. With this focus, we critique yet further advance multicultural foundations’ notions of racial identity predominant in the academy and in broader national discussions on race. Critiquing yet advancing multicultural foundations, we emphasize conceptual content from five books on race and power by Cornel West. Working through West’s conceptual content, we emphasize complex and historicized identifications and relationalities as key concepts in the present moment.

Beginning From The Border, Kip Austin Hinton

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Abstract

In this essay, Educational Borderlands: A Bilingual Journal (EBBJ) is introduced in relation to borderlands, in South Texas and beyond. The journal’s purpose is explained, beginning with its inception as part of the bilingual mission at a majority Mexican American university, then placed within educational, political, and linguistic contexts. Each of EBBJ’s threads is situated in relation to hybridity, intersectionality, bilingualism, translanguaging, transnationalism, and the border itself. The journal seeks to apply these to the study of curriculum, instruction, special education, dual language bilingual education, and research across various interdisciplinary fields.

Resumen

En este ensayo, Educational Borderlands: A Bilingual …

Critical Mirrors: Diverse College Students' Perspectives On Stereotypes Depicted In Popular Films About College Life, Elena M. Venegas, Lakia M. Scott, Karon N. Lecompte, Toby Zhu, Mia Moody-Ramirez

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored diverse college students’ perspectives on the portrayal of college life in recent popular films. Results from this study suggest that White college students dismiss stereotypes as comedic satire whereas their non-White peers readily identify the influence of negative media representations upon their academic and ethnic identities. These findings exemplify the need to promote positive representations of college students from racially and culturally diverse backgrounds. Findings suggest the need for Critical Media Literacy education to help young adults dismantle stereotypes in mainstream society while developing cultural competence.

The Roles Of Digital Literacies And Critical Literacy For Black Adolescent Females, Jacqueline B. Koonce

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The purpose of this conceptual thought paper is to argue for critical digital literacies instruction for all students, particularly students from marginalized populations. In this paper, the lived experiences of Black adolescent female avid readers were analyzed because of the complex nature of their discrimination due to their race and gender. Research questions included: What are the technologies and practices used by Black adolescent female avid readers? How and why do they use them? What are the implications for educators? To answer these questions, the voices of Black adolescent female readers from this author’s previous study were used to explore …

Oooh, It’S Sooo Good!!!: Black Adolescent Females Experiencing The Delicacy Of Reading, Jacqueline B. Koonce

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Black adolescent females have largely been neglected in the research literature on their avid reading. While Gibson (2010) explained that Black girls are often portrayed in the literature as struggling and even “remedial” readers, those Black adolescent females who are avid readers receive even less attention. The purpose of this study, then, was to investigate the voracious reading proclivities of this population in order to provide a balanced view of Black adolescent females’ reading lives. The findings of this phenomenological study indicate that these five participants go beyond loving reading; they crave it. The meaning of reading for these participants …

Promising Digital Practices For Nondominant Learners, Kathy Bussert-Webb, Laurie A. Henry

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This case study took place during an after-school program in a public Texas school district along the U.S./Mexico border. We explore a focal participant’s technology access and use as part of our larger digital literacy research. We asked: What in- and out-of-school digital literacy skills, access, and experiences did Robot Boy (pseudonym) possess? How did he behave as a rhizome? Overarching theoretical frameworks were postmodernism and New Literacy Studies; within these theories, we focused on rhizomic principles and digital literacies. This research is part of a larger mixed methods research study (Bussert-Webb & Henry, 2016) focused on an exploration of …

Developing Academic Literacy: What Novice Teachers Can Learn From The Case Of Teaching Latino/Bilingual Learners Science And Mathematics, Sandra I. Musanti, Sandra Mercuri

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Immigrant Student Identities: How Bakhtin And Hermans'' Theories Conceptualize Their Fluidity, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This essay discusses how Bakhtin's conception of double-voicedness and cultural identities, along with Hermans's theories of I-positionality and subjectivities, helps frame researchers' characterization of immigrant students' complex and fluid identities. This age of globalization has increased the number and dimensions of positions anyone can assume. Immigrant identities, particularly students, can especially be conceptualized as dynamic and in flux, fluctuating between at least two cultural positions. Sometimes their transnational identities can be conceived as hybridized and dialogic between these cultural norms.

Moving Beyond Apartheid Schooling And “Adequate Education”, Elena M. Venegas

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Though the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and/or national origin, contemporary society within the United States is all but free from discrimination. The Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruling and other landmark legislation passed during the Civil Rights Movement pushed our country toward a path of tolerance and the end of discrimination. Yet, despite these tremendous gains, discrimination still occurs not only at a societal level, but also in terms of schooling (Bakari, 2003; Ferguson, 2003; Harris & Schroeder, 2013; Mackinney & Rios-Aguilar, 2012.) Through critical …

Exploring Parent-Teacher Partnerships As Border Pedagogy: Supporting Emergent Bilingual Student Learning, Sandra Mercuri

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Developed by a bilingual teacher educator in the U.S. working with in-service teachers serving predominantly bilingual students from U.S. and Mexico, this study is uniquely positioned to use innovative research in bilingual teacher education for empowering teachers to develop culturally and linguistically responsive border pedagogies. Specifically, this study explores parent-teacher partnerships as border pedagogy that supports emergent bilingual student teaching and learning. Aimed at disrupting traditional modes of research and practice grounded in monolingualism, this qualitative critical study uses the concept of border pedagogy as a theoretical framework to explore how 16 bilingual in-service teachers enrolled in a master’s program …

An Arab American Boy Fights For His Voice: Finding Identity Within Literature, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The literacy experiences of Arab American youths are often overlooked in the US, and this paper examines the reading responses of one Arab 5 th grader as he struggles for agency in a classroom of majority culture fellow students. This study follows the book talk of a class dealing with a text about immigration. Though he often struggles to contribute his perspective, as an actual immigrant himself, he is sometimes ignored and frustrated. This paper looks at this issue through Fairclough (2001) and van Dijk’s (1985, 2001) critical discourse lens, examining the intersectionality of racial, gender, and power issues in …

Second Reaction: Consumed By Mystery In The Mammoth Cave (Review), Elena M. Venegas

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Jennifer Bradbury’s River Runs Deep is a pre–Civil War mystery that envelopes the reader in the story of Elias Harrigan, a twelve-year-old boy who is ill with consumption (tuberculosis). Unfortunately for Elias, he lives in an era that predates modern medicine. In a last-ditch effort to save his life, Elias is sent to Kentucky to be treated by Dr. John Croghan. Though Dr. Croghan employs several unusual treatments, he primarily believes that the Mammoth Cave, in which his practice is housed, will prove beneficial for his patients. Elias is the youngest of Dr. Croghan’s patients and soon becomes restless and …

Second Reaction: Ability Over Stigma, Elena M. Venegas

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Upon first glance, Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah seems to be a book about a young African bicyclist. A closer examination of the cover, however, reveals that the main character, Emmanuel, is miraculously using only one leg to ride his bicycle in this biographical tale.

Promoting Exploratory Talk With Emergent Bilinguals, Yvonne S. Freeman, Alma D. Rodríguez

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The authors explain their approach to teaching literatura infantil (children’s literature) in Spanish to bilingual teachers pursuing their master’s degree in bilingual education at a university in South Texas. In this Self-Study of Teacher Education Practice (S-STEP) research, the authors investigated how teachers can transform their practice and come to value their students’ abilities to interpret literature. They engaged the teachers in projects using quality children’s literature. The projects were carried out by graduate inservice teachers teaching Spanish/English bilingual students studying at different grade levels. Some teachers taught along the Texas/Mexico border and others taught in a large metropolitan school …

The Quinceañera Event: Pre-Service Teachers Implementing A Culturally Relevant Math Activity In A Hispanic Community, Olga M. Ramirez, Cherie Mccollough, Zulmaris Diaz

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) to work with culturally relevant mathematics and family math learning events (FMLEs) in mutual settings are important goals. This paper promotes these important teacher preparation goals as implemented in an after school program by a university math content faculty along with other FMLE support faculty. To illustrate, this paper focuses on a culturally relevant mathematics activity based on the popular social event known as the Quinceañera (the 15th birthday party for a young lady) presented at FMLEs by PSTs and which explores the customs of the Hispanic culture coupled with linkages to mathematical connections.

Attitudinal Perspectives: A Factor To Implementation Of A Dual Language Program, Michael Whitacre

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The central focus of this study was to determine the overall perceptions of school administrators, and the district bilingual coordinator on transferring theory to classroom practice, implementation, as viewed by those involved in the implementation process of the Gómez and Gómez Model of Dual Language Education. Responses were solicited from administrative personnel involved in the implementation of the Gómez and Gómez Model of Dual Language. Results revealed overall administrative attitudes were positive to the theoretical ideology and mixed as related to the actual implementation of the dual language program. The greatest areas of concern were; what to do when students …

Desiring Dual Language Bilingual Education: One Community’S Perspectives On Past And Future Directions For Bilingual Learners, Amy A. Weimer, Daniela Kuri, J. Joy Esquierdo, Francisco Guajardo, Luis A. Correa

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Perceptions and beliefs about past, present, and future bilingual educational programs were gathered from key members of a bilingual community, including teachers, parents, and educational administrators. Participants’ responses were analyzed and three overarching themes emerged. Current perceptions of bilingual education programs are strongly influenced by: (a) sociohistorical and political factors, (b) the effectiveness of instructional techniques; and (c) beliefs about bilingualism in general. Implications of these results are described with a focus on how they can inform policies and practices for bilingual learners.

Youth Digital Cultural Consumption And Education, Monica Pini, Sandra I. Musanti, Teresa Cerratto Pargma

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Media and technological devices function as socializing agents during children’s leisure and entertainment time. Drawing from the theory of cultural consumption, a socio educational approach to students’ digital practices, and media literacy, this qualitative study seeks to explore and describe students’ cultural consumption profile. The authors explore the representations and meanings of digital practices of public school students of a predominately working class neighborhood situated in the periphery of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Findings highlight different aspects of youth cultural consumption profile. Two themes were identified: a) children use computers for a multiplicity of different activities enacting multitasking practices; and b) …

Composing A New Community Infused With Bilingual, Biliterate, And Bicultural Realities, Amy A. Weimer, J. Joy Esquierdo, Francisco Guajardo

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bilingual And Esl Pre-Service Teachers Learn About Effective Instruction For Ells Through Meaningful Collaboration, Alma D. Rodríguez

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This article presents the results of a study conducted to identify the perceptions of bilingual and ESL pre-service teachers regarding the integration of a collaborative service learning project in a key course of their teacher preparation program. Pre-, process, and final reflective essays were written by participants as they engaged in the development of an ESL unit to teach language through content to ELLs. The analysis of participants’ reflections revealed that preservice teachers connect the learning they acquire in their teacher education program with their life experiences, which contributes to their identity formation as prospective teachers of ELLs. In addition, …

El Poder De La Tutoría En Pares Bilingües Durante La Enseñanza De Ciencia: Diseñando Oportunidades Para Explicar, María G. Arreguín-Anderson, Zulmaris Diaz, Jose A. Ruiz-Escalante

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

En este artículo se propone la utilización de la tutoría en pares como estrategia para facilitar la elaboración de explicaciones mientras se aprende la ciencia. Los autores argumentan que, sistemáticamente incluida dentro de la instrucción, la tutoría en pares permite que un estudiante con mayor dominio de la materia auxilie a un compañero en el aprendizaje de la ciencia al mismo tiempo que ambos se involucran en la práctica de todas las destrezas del lenguaje. A manera de ilustración, los autores narran cómo una lección de ciencias naturales se enriqueció con dos estrategias de tutoría: parejas de discusión guiada y …

Cultivating Bilingual Learners’ Language Arts Knowledge: A Framework For Successful Teaching, Isela Almaguer, J. Joy Esquierdo

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

It is essential to support bilingual learners’ language and academic development; however, teaching second language learners English has taken precedence over teaching content area knowledge and vocabulary, specifically for language arts. The focus has shifted from content area instruction to primarily second language instruction due to an increasingly diverse population and an increasing number of bilingual learners in formal school settings. This article introduces a framework for accomplishing both linguistic and content literacy simultaneously. The framework takes into account the four elements of the principles of learning, learner appropriate pedagogy, contextual interaction theory, student language (L1/L2) proficiency level, and a …

Why Did I Ask That Question? Bilingual/Esl Pre-Service Teachers’ Insights, Zulmaris Diaz, Michael Whitacre, J. Joy Esquierdo, Jose A. Ruiz-Escalante

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Questioning techniques have historically been considered the measurement by which teachers challenge and gauge student learning. Much has been said about questioning strategies used by teachers; yet little is known about the strategies used by pre-service teachers, especially those that are working with English language learners. This study presents findings from a qualitative study that explored what types of questions pre-service teachers use and their reflections on the use of such strategies. Eight bilingual/ESL pre-service teachers in South Texas were videotaped during a math and a language arts lesson, attended focus groups, and participated in an exit interview. The findings …

Promising Pedagogical Practices For Emergent Bilinguals In Kindergarten: Towards A Mathematics Discourse Community, Sandra I. Musanti, Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

In the current U.S. context, it is relevant to disseminate research that portrays in detail how bilingual teachers create challenging and safe mathematics learning environments for emergent bilinguals. It is critical to identify pedagogical approaches that foster emergent bilinguals’ participation in mathematics conversations and discourse practices where language is considered a pedagogical resource. This is possible when teachers understand that young Latino/a students come to school with a wide range of cognitive and linguistic tools, which they can use to help them make sense of problems posed in the classroom. Using case study methodology, we define and provide a detailed …

The Use Of A Virtual Guest Speaker As A Catalyst For Deep Learning, Alcione N. Ostorga, Peter Farruggio

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Teaching undergraduate students as they prepare to become bilingual teachers is often a challenge due to their maturational development and the logistical limitations of college courses. Nevertheless, teacher educators must foster preservice teachers’ understanding of factors that impact learning and academic success. This article analyses the use of a virtual guest speaker in an asynchronous discussion as a way to promote critical analysis of policy issues which superseded the memorization of concepts taught in the course. Analysis reveals that the virtual guest speaker served as a catalyst for critical thought about the course content.

Pre-Service Teachers: An Analysis Of Reading Instruction In High Needs Districts Dual Language Classrooms, Michael Whitacre, Zulmaris Diaz, J. Joy Esquierdo

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Pre-service teachers need opportunities to apply theory and connect to best practices as they teach in classroom settings be it, whole or small group. For many pre-service teachers often times their experience is limited to simply watching instruction or working with small groups of students (Pryor & Kuhn, 2004). The student teaching experience is a critical component of the teacher preparation program. Through the use of the English Language Learner Classroom Observation Instrument (ELLCOI), and researcher observation the hope is that these will aid in bringing to light the instructional activities used by pre-service teachers during reading instruction with ELLs. …

Neoliberal Teacher Preparation: Conceptualising A Response In The Us Borderlands, Michael D. Guerrero, Peter Farruggio

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The current era of neoliberal capitalism has witnessed the domination of public education by business interests which openly promote the spirit of competition among schools, educators and students through a policy of high stakes accountability for immediately measurable educational outcomes. In the USA, this policy proposes to make teacher educator programmes accountable for the impact of their programme completers on student achievement, namely standardised test scores. Consequently, some programmes have begun to rethink their practices in an effort to avoid negative sanctions. Unfortunately, little empirical evidence of improvement is available to teacher educators, particularly those committed to the preparation of …

Reflexiones Sobre Lenguaje, Cultura Y Equidad En La Enseñanza De Matemáticas En Una Escuela Primaria Bilingüe De Estados Unidos, Sandra I. Musanti, Sylvia Celedón-Pattichis, Mary E. Marshall

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Esta investigación cualitativa explora las prácticas y percepciones de dos maestras (K-1), así como los asuntos de equidad implícitos en la integración curricular de problemas de matemáticas contextualizados para adecuar la enseñanza de estudiantes latinos que están aprendiendo inglés como segunda lengua. Este estudio se basa en tres enfoques: el enfoque cognitivo guiado de la enseñanza de matemáticas, el lenguaje y la cultura como recursos pedagógicos, y la enseñanza de matemáticas para la equidad. La investigación se desarrolla en el contexto de una iniciativa de desarrollo profesional situado entre maestras bilingües e investigadoras en una escuela primaria del suroeste de …

"Oh, Those Loud Black Girls!": A Phenomenological Study Of Black Girls Talking With An Attitude, Jacqueline B. Koonce

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

Current research suggests that it is imperative for researchers and educators to pay more attention to the needs of African American adolescent girls and how their race and gender affect schooling (Fordham, 1993; Morris, 2007). The purpose of this study was to highlight the lived experiences of two African American adolescent girls when they used the African American women's speech practice, "Talking with an Attitude" (TWA), with their teachers. Using phenomenology and Afrocentric feminist epistemology as methodological and theoretical approaches, interviews were used to collect and analyze data that revealed the nature of their lived experiences. Van Manen's description of …

Consumos Culturales Digitales: Jóvenes De 13 A 18 Años, Monica Pini, Sandra I. Musanti, Guillermo Kaufman, Mónica Amaré

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

La información que se produce y circula en Internet, el crecimiento sostenido del número de usuarios conectados y el modo en que todos los participantes se apropian de este universo online describen el escenario actual. La escuela, que ya hace tiempo disputa con los medios la tarea de socializar a niños y adolescentes, tiene que buscar nuevas estrategias frente a la incesante multiplicación tecnológica y su penetración en todos los intersticios de la vida cotidiana. El presente trabajo elabora un estado del arte de las prácticas digitales de los jóvenes desde la teoría de los consumos culturales, con especial referencia …