The Impact of Language and Literacy Practices on Bilingual Teacher Candidates' Identity and Development

• In Event: 53.038 - It Takes a Pueblo: Reimagining Educational Equity for Latino Emergent Bilinguals

Abstract

Objectives

Preparing high-quality bilingual teachers is critical to the success of emergent bilingual students in the U.S. Bilingual teacher candidates have the dual task of demonstrating pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) and high levels of academic language proficiency in English and an additional language. This manuscript reports on a qualitative study that examines how a cohort of Spanish-English bilingual teacher candidates in California make sense of their schooling experiences as children through adulthood in both Spanish and English to understand how critical language and literacy events shape their bilingual and biliterate identity.

Theoretical Framework

This manuscript draws on two theoretical frameworks: 1) language socialization (Garrett & Baquedano-López, 2002; Shieffelin & Ochs, 1986) that recognizes that individuals are socialized through and to language(s) to become competent members of linguistic communities of practice, and 2) new literacy studies (Street, 1984; Gee, 2000) which regards literacy as social practice situated within contexts influenced by larger sociocultural factors. The artifacts examined in this study were college level essays written on the topic of personal language practices and literacy events (Heath, 1983) in two languages by bilingual teacher candidates.

Method and data sources

While teaching a biliteracy course at a California university, the author collected 30 biliteracy autobiographical essays written in Spanish by teacher candidates to conduct a discourse analysis (XXXX) of shared language and literacy events. Specifically, the essay assignment prompted students to reflect upon their individual stories of biliteracy development by tracing early literacy experiences in the home, at school, and in the larger community, and explore their feelings and attitudes towards literacy and biliteracy that have developed as a result of these formative experiences. Students are asked to make connections between these early biliteracy experiences and their impact on their current attitudes about literacy. These essays were read initially for topics and themes and then coded by repetitive themes (Saldaña, 2009).

Findings

Bilingual teacher candidates identified critical language and literacy events in both Spanish and English that reflected disparate experiences in both their schools and homes. Many students reported experiencing subtractive schooling experiences during an educational era that privileged English-only policies and practices. Candidates held sentiments that ranged from pain and resentment, to passion and inspiration for change.

Significance

Colleges of education promote additive educational approaches for emergent bilinguals which includes pedagogically-sound practices that promote students’ development of bilingualism and biculturalism. Tracing previous language and literacy experiences can be a fruitful way to help teacher candidates explore language ideologies and dispositions. Continued research that can address the professional development of bilingual teacher candidates is essential to ensure a quality education for emergent bilinguals.

Author

• Sera Jean Hernandez, San Diego State University