(Un)official knowledge and identity: an emerging bilingual's journey into hybridity

Abstract

Gabriela Montserrat (pseudonym) is a Mexican–American child classified by her school district as an ‘emerging bilingual’ and is the focus of this qualitative case study that took place at a public elementary school located in a suburban community in the southwestern US in Mrs Pérez's (pseudonym) second-grade classroom. The student's use of personal stories to make connections between the literature she reads and her life is framed primarily by Cultural Hybridity Theory and Third Space Theory in Language And Literacy. Within this conceptualization, we began with broad research questions: (1) What is the role of Gabriela, an emerging bilingual second-grade student, in the hybrid or ‘third space’ that Mrs Pérez, her teacher, has created for her literature classroom? and (2) How does Gabriela's background influence her interpretation of text(s)? To answer these questions, we employed both a qualitative case study research paradigm and a feminist research paradigm to explore the processes and dynamics of Gabriela's use of narratives in her personal experience as a way for her to make connections and meaning from texts. Artifacts collected for data analysis and triangulation included audio-tapes, field notes, student journal entries, and semi-structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis and discourse analysis were used to analyze the data and to create an individual profile that serves to provide a background and context for understanding the students' chosen participation style during seven literature discussions. Within the analysis, several patterns and themes emerged including: (1) Connections to the Text; (2) Connections to Something Someone Said; (3) Responses to a Question; and (4) A Story She Needed to Tell. The article concludes with suggestions and recommendations for broadening the curricular and pedagogical practices for teachers of emerging bilingual learners.

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