\"Current language policies are based on faulty notions of the historical and contemporary linguistic landscape of the U.S. However, simply because the student is studying in the U.S. at an English medium institution, does not necessarily indicate that the student plans on being a lifelong member of any English community of practice. Pressures on these students to converge to English occur because of the faulty notions that make the basis of current language policies. This study looks at the implications of the pressure to converge within two sections of an ESL composition course at a state university. The pressure to converge makes these students re-evaluate their linguistic priorities and can be demotivational to their language learning. Keeping in mind their imagined communities of practice, reducing the pressure to converge can make these students integratively motivated to learn and grant them access to the dominant discourse community.\"
","abstract_html":"<p>"Current language policies are based on faulty notions of the historical and contemporary linguistic landscape of the U.S. However, simply because the student is studying in the U.S. at an English medium institution, does not necessarily indicate that the student plans on being a lifelong member of any English community of practice. Pressures on these students to converge to English occur because of the faulty notions that make the basis of current language policies. This study looks at the implications of the pressure to converge within two sections of an ESL composition course at a state university. The pressure to converge makes these students re-evaluate their linguistic priorities and can be demotivational to their language learning. Keeping in mind their imagined communities of practice, reducing the pressure to converge can make these students integratively motivated to learn and grant them access to the dominant discourse community."</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Duston, Trevor"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA) in English: Teaching English as a Second Language","degree_level":"Thesis: EWU Only","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:12:26Z","subjects":["Second language acquisition--Social aspects","English language--Study and teaching (Higher)--Foreign speakers--Psychological aspects","Second language acquisition--Psychological aspects","College students--Washington (State)--Cheney--Attitudes","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/113","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Duston, Trevor"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis: EWU Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA) in English: Teaching English as a Second Language"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Second language acquisition--Social aspects","English language--Study and teaching (Higher)--Foreign speakers--Psychological aspects","Second language acquisition--Psychological aspects","College students--Washington (State)--Cheney--Attitudes","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/113"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Current language policies are based on faulty notions of the historical and contemporary linguistic landscape of the U.S. However, simply because the student is studying in the U.S. at an English medium institution, does not necessarily indicate that the student plans on being a lifelong member of any English community of practice. Pressures on these students to converge to English occur because of the faulty notions that make the basis of current language policies. This study looks at the implications of the pressure to converge within two sections of an ESL composition course at a state university. The pressure to converge makes these students re-evaluate their linguistic priorities and can be demotivational to their language learning. Keeping in mind their imagined communities of practice, reducing the pressure to converge can make these students integratively motivated to learn and grant them access to the dominant discourse community.\"
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Social pressure to speak English and the effect of English language learning for ESL composition students in higher education"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Duston, Trevor"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Current language policies are based on faulty notions of the historical and contemporary linguistic landscape of the U.S. However, simply because the student is studying in the U.S. at an English medium institution, does not necessarily indicate that the student plans on being a lifelong member of any English community of practice. Pressures on these students to converge to English occur because of the faulty notions that make the basis of current language policies. This study looks at the implications of the pressure to converge within two sections of an ESL composition course at a state university. The pressure to converge makes these students re-evaluate their linguistic priorities and can be demotivational to their language learning. Keeping in mind their imagined communities of practice, reducing the pressure to converge can make these students integratively motivated to learn and grant them access to the dominant discourse community.\"
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/113"],"dc:rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"dc:subject":["Second language acquisition--Social aspects","English language--Study and teaching (Higher)--Foreign speakers--Psychological aspects","Second language acquisition--Psychological aspects","College students--Washington (State)--Cheney--Attitudes","Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education","English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["Social pressure to speak English and the effect of English language learning for ESL composition students in higher education"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis: EWU Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA) in English: Teaching English as a Second Language"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:12:26Z"}