The Reflexive Positioning of a Long-Term English Learner

• In Event: Literacy, Positioning, and Agency: Multiple Perspectives From Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners and Families

Abstract

The purpose of this particular study is to examine the ways a seventh-grade long-term English learner, Farshad, positions himself as a proficient reader to mask his continued inclusion in an English as a second (ESL) class.

This study utilized positioning theory (Harre & Moghaddam, 2003) to examine Farshad’s reading engagement. Harre and van Langenhove (1999) describe two ways of positioning: reflexive and interactive. Reflexive positioning occurs when an individual discusses experiences from his or her own life whereas interactive positioning occurs when an individual positions another person in a specific context. In this case study, reflexive positioning is used since I examine the ways in which Farshad positions himself as a reader.

The participant of this case study was Farshad, a seventh-grader originally from Afghanistan who has been in the U.S. for six years. Despite being fluent in oral English, Farshad was still exclusively in an English as a Second Language class for his English instruction because he needed more support with his academic English proficiency. Data sources include classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, artifact collection, and informal reading inventories. Classroom observations were conducted over six months, wherein the primary focus was Farshad’s engagement with text and participation in discussions around text. In addition, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with Farshad. As well, four Qualitative Reading Inventory comprehension passages were administered, and Farshad was asked to think aloud during these assessments in order to obtain information about his strategic knowledge. In addition, artifacts were collected from his ESL classroom.

Findings suggest that Farshad attempts to position himself as a proficient reader, which contradicts his actual reading abilities based on comprehension assessments. He claimed that reading was “easy” and that he “could read anything.” However, comprehension assessments indicated that Farshad struggled to read texts which were already below his grade level. Think-alouds during the assessments also indicated that Farshad demonstrated little use of comprehension strategies, as he sometimes resorted to reading verbatim from the text since he could not even paraphrase the ideas in the text. Despite his struggles with comprehension, Farshad still projected himself as a confident reader. Doing so allows Farshad to mask his insecurities and concerns over others’ perceptions of him based on his inclusion in the ESL classroom. His experiences mirror that of other English learners who have devised ways to seem more proficient in English as a form of self-preservation (Monzo & Rueda, 2009).

While studies have been conducted on ELLs’ reading engagement (e.g., Ivey & Broaddus, 2007), little is known about long-term English learner reading engagement. Additionally, studies conducted on students’ reading engagement have typically relied on students’ self-report through surveys or relied solely on interview data. The significance of this study is that it provides a classroom-based, in-depth exploration of a long-term English learner’s reading engagement. The study also showed how continued placement in an ESL class influences how a long-term English learner positions himself as a reader.

Author

• Maria Selena Protacio, Western Michigan University