Who Gets to Count as Emerging Bilinguals: Adapting a Holistic Writing Rubric for All

• In Event: Bilingualism for All? Raciolinguistic Perspectives on Dual-Language Education

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation focuses on a yearlong qualitative study of developing writing rubrics in a two-way immersion school, in which there was a significant proportion of African American students, many of whom use African American Language (AAL). The paper reports on the efforts of teachers to become more critically conscious (Cervantes et al., 2017) of their own raciolinguistic ideologies (Flores & Rosa, 2015).

Drawing on both sociocultural and raciolinguistic perspectives, we explore how race, languages and dialects intersected and posed challenges for teachers in a dual language school. Studies that frame language and literacy as socially constructed experiences (Vygotsky, 1978) as well as those on holistic bilingualism helped us to think about language use from a more assets-based lens, one in which emerging bilinguals’ students hybrid repertoires of practice, voices, and identities are all part of their developing academic literacies (Escamilla, 2006; Moll & González 1994; Paris, 2016). Additionally, looking at articles related to bi-dialectalism helped us understand and make sense of teachers’ perspectives around different language uses and the acceptability of languages within a two-way immersion setting (Sledd, 1969).

This yearlong study took place in a small, elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The school followed a traditional two-way immersion service delivery model, whereby students receive instruction in one language for the days designated and vice-versa. The school also had a balance between heritage Spanish and English speakers. Sixteen faculty and staff were part of the professional development that focused on developing an assets-based writing rubric that would account for all languages of the students as well as their development. Teachers and staff meeting bimonthly after school to discuss student writing, learn about holistic features in Spanish and English as well as dialectical variations of Spanish and AAL. Data sources include observational notes on the professional development sessions, teacher surveys and reflections, and student writing samples. Data was initially analyzed using open coding (Charmaz, 2006). After reviewing the codes, themes were identified and we went back to other sources of data to triangulate and confirm interpretations (Saldaña, 2012).

Findings illustrated how teachers struggled to identify features of AAL as well as dialectal varieties and accept the features as part of bilingualism. Some teachers were resistant to include features of bidialectalism and language as part of an assets-based rubric. Finally, teachers needed time and practice in addressing the challenges that emerged as the school worked to develop and implement a more holistic rubric for writing (Soltero-González, Escamilla & Hopewell, 2012) for all. This paper demonstrates the need for more collaborative efforts between teacher educators and teachers in recognizing and understanding how to best support language learners’ use of language in their literacy development. It also demonstrates that need for more understanding among and within two-way settings in order to ensure that all languages that students bring are equally sanctioned and acknowledged.

Authors

• Margarita Gómez, Loyola University Maryland

• Kristina Collins, Loyola University Maryland