"A Word Can Have Two Meanings": Poetry Inside Out as a Site for Youth Research on Language

• In Event: 52.039 - Critical Language Awareness in Action: Examining Poetry Inside Out From the Perspective of Youth Researchers, Teacher Researchers, and University-Based Researchers

Abstract

Objective. Written by a cross-generational team of youth researchers and a university-based researcher, this paper presents how participation in PIO fosters critical language awareness in emergent bilinguals. Building on the tradition of youth research (Morrell, 2004; Fine et al., 2007; Rodriguez & Brown, 2009), we share how engagement with Poetry Inside Out (PIO) supported students in investigating not only English, but also their home languages—i.e., how language functions; what shapes language use; and how languages are similar and different.
Theoretical Frameworks. We draw on socio-cultural and critical literacy frameworks (Gee, 2001), and the perspective of “language as action,” which foregrounds how language is connected to forms of human action (e.g., social, physical, and symbolic) (van Lier & Walqui, 2012). We understand that language use depends on where, with whom, and for what purpose we communicate. The ways in which we “read the world” (Freire, 1987) differ because of the languages we think in and with.
Methodology. Between January and June, twelve youth in a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) English language arts class participated in PIO, with a subset of youth investigating the research question: What do we learn about language from PIO? The university-researcher introduced youth to data collection methods, such as interviewing and audiotaping select groups of students during PIO. The university-researcher documented PIO through fieldnotes, audiotaping and artifact collection as well. Youth and university researcher nominated focal transcripts for collaborative analyses. The youth shared what they noticed, what puzzled them, and how their classmates talked about and used languages.
Findings. We found that English learners understand that language needs to be practiced in the company of others. In interviews Maryam and Steve emphasized the importance of talking with others. Maryam said, “We need to discuss about it. Speak a lot.” Steve said, “Working alone isn’t learning. ‘Cause learning’s getting a new idea from someone, and improving your own idea, and then exploring the idea with other people.”
We found that students “have” language, but feel uncertain about using it in the classroom. Manny shared, “I was scared to talk, and now I speak. I’m not scared anymore to talk and discuss with others.” We learned that students value studying their home languages. Steve said that he learned Twi and English when writing his poem in Twi. He said, “My problem was really writing it cause Twi, there’s some words that doesn’t even have in English. And in English, there’s some words that you can’t even find it anywhere in Twi language.” In writing his poem, he told us that he had to think in both English and Twi, which was difficult, but important.
Significance. This paper is an example of youth-voice research led by youth whose voices are often under-heard because of their age and language. We take seriously the charge to create more opportunities for knowledge production that leverages the experiences, linguistic knowledge, and voices of emergent bilinguals. As such, the paper aligns with the conference’s theme on, and commitment to, socially just research and praxis.

Author

• Jie Yie Park, Clark University