Locally Situated Literacies and the Challenges of English Language Education in Laos
Author(s):
Elliott, Christine E.
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : The University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2014.
Pages:
411
Language:
English
Abstract:
This ethnographic case study was conducted in Laos to examine the relationship between locally situated literacies (in Lao, English, Hmong, and Kmhmu) and their impact on language learning, especially the development of academic print literacy in English. This research centers on eight focal students who were studying English at the post-secondary level and explores their literacy practices both inside and outside of the classroom, before and after coming to the university. A literacy as social practices perspective was utilized, examining how students' participation in reading and writing activities and access to resources shaped their multilingual literacies development over time and in different spaces as they continued from primary school to university. Particular attention was paid to contextual factors and how they influenced students' educational and language and literacies' trajectories. Information is provided about the Lao setting, including a focus on the "ecology of literacy" and the history of English language education in Laos. Data collected over the course of a year included focal student and teacher interviews, classroom observations, home visits and a range of policy documents and course materials. Data revealed that student access to literacy resources varied depending on factors such as social connections, religion, parents' education and occupation, proximity to an urban area, and mother tongue. Students typically had limited access to environmental print, particularly outside of school, both before and even after coming to the university. Data also illustrated how discourses were being constructed about literacy in the Lao context. The discourse "Lao people don't read" was contrasted with data that revealed a Lao understanding of reading as not only an individual, silent activity but also as oral, group practices. Research findings suggest implications for how increased understanding of local literacy practices, access to resources, and beliefs about reading and writing can inform English as a foreign language pedagogy in Laos.