Intersections of language and identity in bilingual instruction: A case study on translanguaging pedagogies in a K-6 Spanish-English dual language institution

This dissertation is a case study on translanguaging pedagogical practices in a K-6 Spanish-English dual language institution in central Illinois. The aim of this study is to explore how the focal institution is addressing two of the fundamental goals of dual language education in the United States, namely, the promotion of “cross-cultural competence and multicultural appreciation” (Howard, Sugarman, Christian, Lindholm-Leary, & Rogers, 2018). Specifically, I examine how a translanguaging pedagogical approach works to support students’ dynamic identities in a multilingual space, potentially impacting learning and achievement. To date, there has been limited research into the depth of how language, culture, and identity are addressed in dual language institutions to support the multicultural goals of dual language programming, specifically through a translanguaging lens. For example, many studies have focused on the translanguaging practices of students, rather than instructional methods designed to support translanguaging. Further, the existing literature is difficult to generalize based on the varying policy goals of state and institution, individual teaching methods, instructor demographics, and so forth. This study will both review and contribute to existing ethnographic studies on dual language instruction, language practices, identity. It will offer an in-depth explanation on how our understanding of these issues will benefit from a case study approach examining the focal institution’s unique programming and policies, as well as each focal teacher’s instructional techniques. Three K-6 bilingual educators and their classrooms within the institution will serve as the sub-units of analysis from which to inform the case study’s findings and conclusions. Using data collected through both classroom and institutional observations and interviews, the study will contribute or provide insight into how culture and language intersect through translanguaging pedagogy. Informed by a sociocultural linguistics framework inspired by Bucholtz and Hall (2005) and Rogoff (2003), the purpose of the study’s findings will be to highlight the potential influence that translanguaging pedagogy can have on institutional and student success in dual language educational contexts and help to inform policy planning regarding these issues going forward. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the achievement gap between English Language Learners and their native-English speaking peers in U.S. K-12 public schools remains at an all-time high (2017). It is projected that support for translanguaging and attention to students’ linguistic and cultural identities can have an overall positive impact on their academic achievement. Dual language classrooms are perhaps one of the most likely spaces to improve these outcomes, and research on specific institutional and pedagogical practices, such as translanguaging, is needed to move forward in analyzing the long-term effects of successful dual language programming. This study will 1. Offer a case-specific perspective on the instructional and policy side of translanguaging research, 2. Strengthen existing research and discussions surrounding the importance of student identity in dual language programming, and 3. Contribute to research that informs curricular planning and policy of dual language programs, potentially impacting the achievement gap of minority language students in the future.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Gillespie, Mackenzie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Witt, Mary Allison
• McCarthy, Cameron
• Dávila, Liv T.
• Nuñez Cortez, Idalia

• Dual Language Education
• Bilingual Education
• Translanguaging

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Mackenzie Gillespie

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120288

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120288