CNN, Facebook, New York Times: ESL Teachers' Use of Media Literacy to Engage and Empower English Learners

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Media Literacy and the Use of Technology

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to understand pre-service ESL teachers’ overall conceptualization of media literacy and the ways in which they anticipate incorporating it into their practice. The study utilized the Center for Media Literacy’s professional development framework that analyzes authorship, format, audience, content, and purpose in media messages. The authors of the study also relied on Cummins’ (1991) theory of second language acquisition. Findings of this study suggest that when ESL pre-service teachers are trained on the benefits of media literacy, they are not resistant to adding these literacy activities to their knapsack of strategies to teach English learners culture, language, and academic content.

Authors

• Kisha C Bryan, Tennessee State University

• Katherin E Garland, Santa Fe College