A Critical Discourse Analysis of Literacy Practices and Identity: Latino English Language Learners at Home and in the Primary Classroom

As technology expands and borders between countries blur, more and more societies including the United States are becoming multilingual. The rich diversity of many languages is felt particularly in education as increasing numbers of students whose home language is other than English enroll in school. This study presents the national, local, and state climates surrounding the education of two Latino children. Through this collaborative-ethnographic style research design, the study investigates the ways in which identities are constructed for or by Latino children as they use language at home and at school. The author explores classroom literacy events and the ways Latino children negotiate these events with their peers in an English dominant classroom. Results reveal the fluidity of identity across classroom curricular structures and in the home. Relationships with peers, adults, and family members contribute significantly to identity construction. The text is useful for researchers, students and educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse children, and those in the fields of second language learning, bilingualism, applied linguistics, and language learning.

Sally A. Brown is an assistant professor in the School of Education at Charleston Southern University. She teaches early childhood education courses to pre-service teachers. She earned a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests focus on culturally and linguistically diverse children.