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Socialization as a Gateway to Academic
Literacy in ESL Classrooms: A Case Study of
Two Chinese Students Studying in the U.S
Ohio TESOL Conference
Columbus, Oh
Nov. 14, 2014
Ahmed Fahad ([email protected])Literacy and Second Language Studies Program
University of Cincinnati
Purpose of this Presentation
This presentation will discuss a study about the
language socialization practices that two ESL
Chinese students were performing on American
college campus. The Purpose of the study is to show
how social, cultural and linguistic socialization by
Chinese students on U.S college campuses could
lead to a higher self efficacy to learn academic
language.
Why Chinese students
●Since 2007, the number of Chinese students in the US
has grown by around one-fifth or more each year.
●More than a quarter of a million Chinese students
(287,260) hold active U.S. student visas
●Stereotypes about Chinese students' English language
development and education in general.
Background
● Teaching experience.
Research Questions
1. What are the socialization practices that
successful Chinese students seek to adopt in
a US college campus? and
2. How are the social literacies Chinese students
gained on campus would improve their
academic language development?
Theoretical Framework
● Second Language socialization: Socialization into academic
literacies in subsequently learned languages has received far less
attention. Academic Literacy (ESL Vs. EAP). (Duff, 2010).
● Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive
Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). (Cummins, 1984).
● Teacher versus learner-centered education.
● Self-efficacy: The belief in ones’ ability to complete a given task. This
has been linked with achievement and motivation to succeed
(Bandura, 1997).
Theoretical Framework…Continued.
● Self identity: they conceive of the social, cultural and
economic barriers as temporary. Their identity of who
they are as different not oppositional social identity.
(Ogbu, 1990)
● The cultural, social and cognitive factors of literacy.
(Langer 1978)
● Fewer research have tackled how those students
developed their academic self-efficacy. Focus was mostly
on addressing the challenges faced by the Chinese
students in general.
Methods
● Participants: two Chinese students in two different U.S
universities attending intensive English language
Programs:
1. Kate 18 female. University of Cincinnati/Ohio
2. Nate: 22 male. University of Miami Oxford/Ohio
Methods
● Data source:
1. Classroom observations
2. Interviews
3. Analysis of artifacts
(portfolio)
Analysis and findings:
Identify Shaping: “there’s difference between like for me I talk to
Chinese students and when I talk to American student. Like when I talk
to Chinese students, I usually start with um how old are you, where
you come…”
Face saving
“in china…um… teachers control everything and we only listen.. Here
in the U.S I have to come prepared and participate in class and
discussion…I live it here”
Campus acculturation: Face-saving through on campus services:
Sport, global body and students organization.
Analysis and findings
● Self-awareness and higher Self-Efficacy: I am different
but it is OK. “I love it here”. “It's not a difficult thing”
● Get a head, socialize and thrive: Host family, Room
mates
“I'm living with three American friends and they are my
roommates, so I am getting well with them and I meet their
friends”
“My global body is providing me with lots of insights about
what to expect in regular classroom”
“…Yeah I can talk to them with different things but not like
academic things. Uh so it could be hard if I don’t really
understand them, but I'm getting well…”
Analysis and findings:
●Adopting new literacies (academic practices):
“…Uh that’s probably something I learned from my
American friends. ‘Cause before I came to America I don’t
really….. I didn’t really talk in classes and Chinese
students are not allowed to talk during class time when we
were in China”
●Code-switching between BICKS and CALP: Class
discussion, room mates, Chinese students:
“taking only ESL classes with mainly Chinese students
does not help.”
Recommendations
1. Orientation: current practices are based mostly on
culture and on general serotypes about the language
and not on the finding from applied linguistics
research.
2. Matching programs: Global buddy, BearChat. Face
saving… safe environment
3. Language and Content teachers coordination:
adopting new practices such as asking students for
clarification, utilizing campus services such writing
centers, students groups and so forth.
4. Check on students’ previous advising and counselling
backgrounds. (application through agents,
standardized tests)
Recommendations
●Change in Teachers’ attitudes toward Chinese ESL
students.
●Encourage students to access campus life activities such
as sporting events or extracurricular clubs
References
Cummins, Jim. (1984). Bilingualism and Special Education: Issues in assessment and
pedagogy: Clevedon, England. Multilingual matters.
Duff, P. A. (2010). Language socialization into academic discourse communities.
Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 30, 169-192.
Hirsch, E.D. (1988). Cultural literacy: What every American needs to know. New York:
Houghton Mifflin.
Keefe, B.E & Copeland, R.S. (2011). What is literacy? The power of a definition.
Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. 2011, Vol. 36, No. 3Y4, 92–
99
Langer, J. (1987). A sociocognitive perspective on literacy. In J. Langer (Ed.),
Language, literacy and culture: Issues of society and schooling (pp. 1-20). Norwood,
NJ: Ablex.
McKay, S. (1996). Literacy and literacies. In S. McKay & N. Hornberger (Eds.),
Sociolinguistics and language teaching. Cambridge: CUP.
Ogbu, J. U. (1990). Cultural model, identity, and literacy.
Schultz, K. (2002). Looking across space and time: Reconceptualizing literacy learning
in and out of school. Research in the Teaching of English, 36, 356-391.
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