ELizabeth-04-05-12+HLAR+chapter+22

Elizabeth-On chapters 22 in HLAR

Beyond Hip-Hop: A cultural context view of literacy

Before I started taking courses in Written Communication at EMU, I used to refer to my ESL students as ranging from “Illiterate even in their native language to highly educated professionals in their native language.” Now that I’ve taken courses dealing with literacy, I have eliminated the word illiterate from my vocabulary. I now agree with the definition that literacy is a way of thinking and being. Just the fact that these students want to learn and see value in learning to speak and write English attests to their literate way of thinking. They care and want to interact with their environment although any one of those that I used to call illiterate can live her life inDearbornnormally without the need to interact in English. I guess we would call a chapter about these ladies “Beyond belly-dancing.” These ladies have a rich culture just like the AA students have a rich culture. Becoming literate and using their literacy to interact with the world, for both minority groups, is empowering. When students interact in the classroom as a community of practice, they discuss their lessons and the issues and problems raised by the text, be it a short story or a basic dialogue. A lot of new traits develop in these students and their identities change as a result of participating in the discussion taking place in class. I see the effect of class discussions as identity builders in my ESL adult students. They look so proud when they finally reach the advanced level (I used to teach low intermediate) and they come back to me to thank me and say hello occasionally. One could tell that they have gained self-assurance. I also teach a citizenship class which prepares the students for the citizenship test given by USCIS formerly known as INS. This test is a high stakes test that all immigrants under 65 years of age have to take. When students pass the citizenship exam, the whole building celebrates and the students seem to grow an inch taller. In chapter 22 the authors write that “ literate thinking evolves through the socialization of learners in a culture.” My adult ESL students love to socialize among themselves and discuss what they learn. I always appreciate any other students from other cultures who come to my class because the intermingling forces all students to speak English rather than using their native languages in class.

Also, like AA students, we practice social reading and shop talk in our adult ESL classroom. Early in the semester I try to create a safe community in class so that students feel free to express their opinions. Many times we discuss politics and in past semesters we have discussed what was going on inIraq. (The experiment in HALR chapter 22 was discussing Bennett’s statement regarding aborting black babies). The chapter mentions Heath’s article about the experiment in Trackton and how Heath views regarding literacy being a mix of cultural, ideological, and power relations all interacting together.

I have a lot to say as far as power relations in the classroom or in the workplace. When I first came to the USAI worked in jobs for which I was overqualified but was hired because I had no “real job English.” I could write well but spoke literary or college English and my many bosses did not have time to hear me out. I had no power because I didn’t speak like my bosses or as fast as they did. In fact I still speak slowly. Finally, I could go back to school and polish up as well as learn everyday English. In the classroom, those who are articulate win. Students learn to sit through lectures and never voice an opinion to avoid being made fun of. Historically, ESL students and AA students have been looked upon as less articulate than others in mainstream classrooms. This kind of thinking reflects the workplace and reflects society at large in the little classrooms scattered throughout the country.