School, Family, and Emotion Discourses: A Narrative Approach to an English Learner's Stories of Experience

• In Event: Stress and Coping of English Learners in the 21st Century

Abstract

Purpose

Hispanic students are the largest EL population in K-12 classrooms in the U.S. There is a growing body of literature describing the characteristics of Hispanic ELs (e.g., DaSilva Iddings & Katz, 2007; Kohler & Lazarin, 2007), their language-related or academic difficulties (e.g., Gifford & Valdés, 2006; Kibler, 2014), and K-12 teachers’ attitudes towards them (e.g., García-Nevarez, Stafford, & Arias, 2005; Author, 2015). Although there is a wide range of studies focusing on the academic needs and challenges of these students, very few studies have examined the role of emotions in their academic lives and English language learning. This study aims to address this gap by analyzing the narratives of a female, Hispanic, EL. By examining and understanding the diverse contexts (e.g., family, school, etc.) in which this student experienced negative emotional discourses, the purpose of this study is to explore the complex link between emotions and ESL learning.

Theoretical Framework

Drawing from poststructural perspectives (e.g., Zembylas, 2003), this study assumes that emotions are discursive practices that are socially constructed, context-dependent, constituted through language, and refer to a wider social life. Examining emotions in narratives enables an understanding of the significant role of emotions in L2 learning, which is a complex, social process.

Methods and Data Sources

Grounded in narrative inquiry, a research methodology “that focuses on the stories we tell about lives” (Barkhuizen, 2015, p. 169), I analyze and discuss interview narratives that my participant, Valentina (pseudonym) recounted to me. My recursive analysis of Valentina’s narratives, elicited through a series of oral interviews, involved identifying, categorizing, and then critically analyzing four emotion discourse categories (e.g., positive, negative, direct, implicit). I then revisited the narrative accounts to identify the contexts these emotion categories came from and coded each.

Findings

The codes led me to three major categories: a) Hispanic family background, culture, and values, b) School policies and ESL pullout program, and c) Socio-economic differences. The findings indicate that the lack of Valentina’s parents’ involvement in her education contributed to the social-emotional problems Valentina experienced. Their expectations of Valentina and narratives of their own painful stories made Valentina feel highly stressed and pressured to succeed. The identities imposed on her by her parents represented differing expectations and behaviors. Consequently, she learned English quickly and moved out of the pullout program in a short amount of time in early years of elementary school; however, she suffered emotionally. These emotional discourses and Valentina’s ESL learning were closely linked. How Valentina dealt with societal stereotypes, socioeconomic differences, ethnic identification, and negative connotations of being an ESL learner had consequences for her academic achievement and emotional well-being. The findings further show that there is not a predictable relationship between L2 learning and emotions as emotions have different impact on or interaction with language learning.

Significance

The findings are significant as they offer an in-depth understanding of an EL’s experience, contributing to the knowledge about complexities of contexts, emotions, and ESL learning and offering unique insights and implications for teachers, teacher educators, and ELs.

Author

• Hayriye Kayi Aydar, University of Arizona