Literacy Teaching and Learning in the Figured Worlds of a Korean Heritage-Language School

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Bilingualism and Language Shift in the Context of Heritage Language

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the roles of a Korean heritage language (HL) school perceived by teachers and parents. Particularly, we are interested in how HL literacy teaching and learning was enacted at the focal HL school in the U. S. Midwest. This study is conceptually situated in sociocultural perspectives, the notions of space and figured worlds, and the New Literacy Studies. Data were collected from interviews with teachers and parents, participant observations of school events, and a collection of artifacts. Findings suggested that the shared understanding of HL literacy teaching and learning guided teachers’ choice of content and materials. The HL school also created and strengthened a community among Korean immigrants and their descendants through various literacy events.

Authors

• Kwangok Song, The University of Kansas

• Jamie Jeehyun Moon, University of Kansas

• Lu He, The University of Kansas