Decolonizing the Spread of Research Epistemologies in a Second Language

• In Event: From Research to Transformative Action: Interpreting Research Critically From Raced, Decolonial, and Womanist Perspectives

Abstract

We report on how English reading theories from the west have “colonized” much of the literature found in the field of Chinese- and Japanese-as-a-foreign-language literacy research conducted at the university level. We seek to demonstrate that a review of research published between 1998-2008 leads to contradictory praxis and research directions. We juxtapose critical literacy agendas that may inform and transform instructional practices.
Problem posing is one of the first steps of critical literacy. It involves a process of generating questions and learning how to address the problem through joint inquiry, use of resources and tools, discussion and reflection on the results. Also we used critical discourse analysis (CDA) and content analysis and post colonial theory to frame the discussion of results.
We first present problems in researching literacy in the field of foreign and second language education by briefly reviewing existing literature on reading and writing in Chinese- and Japanese-as-a-foreign/second-language over the last 10 years (1998- 2008). We describe our procedures starting from our initial selection criteria, data bases, and reasons for expanding the scope. Next, we built a critical interpretation of these through our reading and discussion of constructs and contexts of each research study included.

We drew on national and international data bases, such as EBSCO Academic Premier database and on-line resources, CiiNis (NII”National Institute of Informatics” Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator) & on-line archive for the Journal of Japanese Language Education,Journal of Chinese Language Teachers Association & China Academic Journals Full-text Databases.

Using a chart as heuristic to track constructs, we noted the predominance of theories centered on English reading and writing that have become widely accepted as foundational despite 1) differences in second and foreign language contexts, 2) particularities of logographic languages, such as Japanese and Chinese and 3) national differences in values, standards, norms in reporting and research practice.

Another major characteristic consists of differences in focus and distribution between second and foreign language in reading and writing research as conducted in the US, Japan, and China. Contrasted with second language studies, foreign language reading research is concentrated at the word-level with fewer studies involving the sentence and discourse levels. A significant characteristic of the writing research reveals that second language contexts attempt to understand how learners are developing more authentic writing in classroom activities rather than writing discrete elements under experimental conditions. However, foreign language writing is relatively under-examined in either Japanese or Chinese. Ideologically, we find the majority are building theories along modernist, neutral, language universals, largely a-historical and uncritical. These create knowledge that under-theorizes and under specifies learners’ ability to engage in actual literate practices.

Given these trends, we argue that current knowledge production is not directed at developing a more socially contextualized understanding of literacies in the foreign/second language field. Local and regional research have yet to articulate agenda that are particular to these localities or create new theories that explain competing knowledges.

Concluding, we propose a more culturally relevant agenda for researchers and critical multiliteracies in logographic languages.

Authors

• Theresa Y. Austin, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Yuri Kumagai, Smith College