the puerto rican acculturation of english literature€¦ · pretest and posttest design ‐...

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT RÍO PIEDRASCOLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAM

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (TESL)

The Puerto Rican Acculturation of Acculturation of

English Literature:A Vygotskyan Mediation for UPRHA Vygotskyan Mediation for UPRH

English Pre-Basic Students

Proposal presented as a requisite for the doctoral exam

to the Department of Graduate Studies School of Education

University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus

Aníbal Muñoz ClaudioAníbal Muñoz ClaudioDecember 1, 2010

P r e v i e w d• Introduction

• Historical foundations / backgroundDecember 1 2010

• Foundations of Public Educational Policies

December 1, 2010

• Theoretical / Psychological Foundations• Socio cultural Foundations• Socio-cultural Foundations• Methodology• Mixed –Method Design• Quantitative Pre/Post Test andQ /

Qualitative Survey Design

Historical Foundationsl k f h h f l hHistorical Background of the teaching of English in PR

EspañolEspañol5 siglos English5 siglos English

1 century

The English dilemma Three different processesp

acting independently

Puerto RicanPuerto Rican Culture

English

Teaching of English

LiteraturegLanguage Literature

in PR

Introduction The teaching of English in PR. –A perennial dilemma for the island’s educational authoritiesfor the island s educational authorities

Lots of theories and studies…lack of action

M lMy proposal: I am proposing direct affirmative action based on:

Major Learning Theories

L2 Acquisition Theoriesq

Existing Linguistic Paradigms Worldwide

Related StudiesRelated Studies

PRDE public policies –hidden curriculum

PurposePurpose

• This study seeks to lessen students’ reluctance and h d h l h l l dapprehension towards their English literature classes and

enhance their attainment of reading skills by utilizing a different kind of literature (Puerto Rican acculturation of English literature)English literature).

• This process serves as the mediation (Vigotsky, 1978) needed to foster the st dents’ lang age competence The st dto foster the students’ language competence. The study emulates existing paradigms of successful contextualization processes taking place in various educational settings worldwideworldwide.

Research QuestionResearch Question

• This study proposes the following question:This study proposes the following question:

• Can the Puerto Rican acculturation of English literature enhance the UPRH students’literature enhance the UPRH students appreciation for English literature as well as their attainment of English reading skills intheir attainment of English reading skills in their English Pre‐Basic courses?

Research DesignResearch Design

• The Quantitative–Quasi‐Experimental DesignThe Quantitative Quasi Experimental Design fits well for this research since the purpose of the method is to determine cause and effectthe method is to determine cause and effect with a direct manipulation of the conditions.

• In this approach and design there’s no random• In this approach and design there s no random assignment of participants to groups (McMillan & Schumaker 2005)(McMillan & Schumaker, 2005).

methodologymethodology

• At the UPRH settings, the researcher would be able to use intact groups as they are assigned by sections (pre‐basic English courses, INGL 0080) that can be divided into one select control group and one select experimental group with their respective number of students.

• Then, following the guidelines suggested in the control‐group‐pretest and posttest design ‐ (Creswell, 2003, 1995, McMillanpretest and posttest design (Creswell, 2003, 1995, McMillan & Schumaker, 2005), the control group will use in their course the traditional literature (textbook and/or similar reading selections used in the past) and the select group will receiveselections used in the past), and the select group will receive the experimental treatment (use of Puerto Rican content‐based literature)

Methodology cont.Methodology cont.

• In order to gather data for the variable of literatureIn order to gather data for the variable of literature appreciation, the researcher will administer a questionnaire (attitudes and perceptions of previous English literature –see annex no. 4) to the select experimental group prior the treatment.

• This questionnaire is intended to gather data related to the participants’ previous experiences with English reading selections and their perceptions towardreading selections and their perceptions toward them.

Methodology cont.Methodology cont.

• In order to gather data for the variable of attainment of reading skills, the researcher will administer a pre and post‐test (reading skills test to be designed later) to both groups.

• This pre and post test will cover reading skills such as: vocabulary in context, reading comprehension, main idea, author’s purpose making inferences story elements like:author s purpose, making inferences, story elements like: setting, characterization, identifying conflict, figurative language, imagery (sensory images), and others.

Foundations of Educational Public Policies

(The Proposed Perspective)

The Puerto Rican Acculturation

of English Literature.

The main objective of this teaching strategy will be the teaching of English holistically from a contextualized cultural perspective in which the reading materials must be acculturated

Puerto Rican selections.

Foundations of Educational Public Policies( h d i )(The Proposed Perspective)

The acculturation of English literature implies that in every single paragraph, or at least in every single reading page of anyleast in every single reading page of any English reading material, Puerto Rican students can encounter familiar vocabulary, settings, or any situation related to their culture.

I thi t d t i t dIn this way, students can appreciate and identify with the reading selection and thus, bring about their previous cultural , g pexperiences.

At least one or more of these features must appear in every page!

• Spanish titles (to attract reader’s attention)

must appear in every page!

• Simple and user‐friendly vocabulary• Appealing Spanish phrases • Spanish colloquial terms, and expressionsSpanish colloquial terms, and expressions • Names of local settings, and people (schools, avenues, towns,

cities, bridges, shopping malls, hospitals, and others.),• Onomatopoeic constructions with local familiar sounds• Onomatopoeic constructions with local familiar sounds, • Sayings and/or swears, • Anglicized forms generally used and of widely acceptance,

O i i l h l i l i (G ffi i d )• Original morphological constructions (Graffitiando, etc.), • Pictures and drawings of familiar settings and environments,

and most importantly,• Puerto Rican school and community contexts. • Others

The PR Acculturation of English Lit.The PR Acculturation of English Lit.

• The Puerto Rican acculturation of English Literature gdoes not intend in any way or form to:• Deconstruct the English language

Di i i h th E li h l• Diminish the English language• Change the English language

• It is about inserting all possible contextualizedmaterial into the English reading selections in order

di d id h ff ldi ito mediate and provide the scaffolding necessary inthe learning (L2 acquisition) process as suggested inVygotsky’s theories.

Psychological / Theoretical FoundationsPsychological / Theoretical Foundations

• Vygotsky’s (1978) Major Learning TheoriesVygotsky s (1978) Major Learning Theories

Mediation

S ff ldiScaffolding

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

• Ausubel (1963) –Meaningful Learning TheoryAusubel (1963) Meaningful Learning Theory

• Lambert W.(1963) –Acculturation and Anomie

K h S Aff i Fil H h i• Krashen S. (1982) Affective Filter Hypothesis

Socio‐Cultural FoundationsExisting Linguistic Paradigms

Kachru’s (1991) model in India (Indianization)

The “Indianization”of English in India has led to e d a at o o g s d a as ed toa situation in which English has few if any British cultural attributes. Learning English in India, for g g ,example, really does not involve taking on a new culture since one is acquiring Indian English in q g gIndia (Brown, 2007).

Language Ownership –a cultural invitation

• The language then belongs to those who use it as their first language, and to those who use it as an additional language, whether in its standard form or in its localized forms.

• According to Kachru’s (1991) research in India, the process of language acculturation facilitates p g glearning while eradicating cultural imposition.

PRDE English “Hidden Curriculum”g

• Giroux’s assertions aboutGiroux s assertions about the hidden curriculum

• Americanization agenda in PR• Americanization agenda in PR

(Negrón de Montilla, 1990 & Torres, 2002)

• Current Literature textbooks used in PRDE:

• Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, others

• No Puerto Rican contextsNo Puerto Rican contexts

Conclusion: The ideal scenarioCreativity / our contributions to

the world

PR traditions/diversity

Involvement/Commitment

Ethical principles

Social TransformationTeaching English Literatureto promote the

Contextualizationp

Puerto Rican Culture

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Images obtained from internet source: www.ask.com

Would you like to find it?

Just a Lipstickp

We changed our naïve touch for a more daring approach

to life. And we were challengingAnd we were challenging authorities…We were

demanding our rights… Wedemanding our rights… We were exploring the pleasures of life…

TraTra…Tra…TraTra…

Find out what happens to the love and friendship of a pyoung couple when reggaeton lyrics get

in their wayin their way…


GraffitiandoGraffitiando


Michelle’s Little

Surprise

Things were so…Things were so different three years ago when she wasago… when she was only 12 at her seventh

gradegrade.

One day, in the middle ofthe middle of

my tormenting d i hdesires, the English class came to my rescue once again. The class was forclass was for me like a

genie lamp –ti

My One O’ Clock granting me

wishes whenever I y

English Class needed them the most.

…For Ángel, gthe paperboy, it was another

hday at his usual

businessbusiness.

T P B ’The Paper Boy’s Wish

Just…howhow

difficult it getst f ll i l fto fall in love for

the very firsttime…

“l rajeo”“El Grajeo”Images obtained from internet source: www.ask.com /clip art

Find out about whatabout what happened in

these particular Ch i !Christmas!

Merry Christmas in CupeyImages obtained from internet source: www.ask.com /clip art

Emily’s VoicesEmily s VoicesShe knew that at 1:30 A M itat 1:30 A.M. it was too late and she needed toshe needed to go to sleep… But she didn’t want to… She knew that the voices

iti fwere waiting for her… Waiting for the bestfor the best

timing to make her suffer more.

“Eugenio, el Genio”

D b th d t k thDo you remember the day you took the

College Board Exam? Images obtained from internet source: www.ask.com /clip art

The Night that ‘Georges’ Came

• Get ready for the hurricane season!The hurricane

ill bseason will be back year after

!year!


“Marbete”

Sometimes, when you facesome PR police officers

d t byou need to be way more than ready…

Images obtained from internet source: www.ask.com /clip art

Get Out of Here!Get Out of Here!

But as the weeks went by, Glenda’s illness began worsening and, little by little, the number of visitors was reducing considerably. In less than a


month, there was nobody else visiting her except for the usual 7:30 P.M. visit of her parents.

The Last Halloween NightThe Last Halloween Night


“Los Prepas”Los PrepasIt was his first day at the new

school…


Oh God, ,I Hate

M d !Monday mornings…

Mondays! I hated them…


“Dame unaCoors Light!”

At 8:00 P.M. they were

ready! Their friends picked them up at a gas station and went to the Oscar Liquor Store ,where they bought two cases of Coors Lights.


Driving the Explorer

Wi h hi ki iWithout thinking it twice, he jumped inside the car and quickly turned it on.

Wao! It felt great… the dashboard thedashboard, the

steering wheel, the leather seats, the

t l th di it lcontrols, the digital radio…everything! He felt like a king! He wanted to drive it.


LA COME M…

She felt like a GoddessShe felt like a Goddesswalking among meremortals,like a Queenmortals,like a Queen

sorrounded by her servants, like a Rock Star admiredlike a Rock Star admired

by her devoted fans…

But she never knew whatothers had to say aboutothers had to say about

her.Images obtained from internet source: www.ask.com

In a hot SeptemberIn a hot September morning, the two

students couldn’t take itstudents couldn t take it anymore…

P l P lPelea… PeleaImages obtained from internet source: www.ask.com /clip art

G�� T��

Since the day that Tina and Gina wereSince the day that Tina and Gina were born, their parents and everybody else knew they were going to be

thi i lsomething special… And then, adolescence came around…


Karla Santiago and her Boyfriendg y

The water was so cool…

She felt so free, andfree, and

soliberated

…


What will happen when pptwo old friends speed race in Road no. 30?


Copy P ti Pasting

101

What kind of class did Leo

go to?

How did he finish his l ?lessons?


Read about how energized a group ofenergized a group of students became

when they were told that the Secretary ofthat the Secretary of Education was going to visit their school.

The Secretary is Coming to SchoolImages obtained from internet source: www.ask.com

TK

Where else can we live in Puerto Rico nowadays?


15 �� 2009

Únete..Únete...

Luchasi…


The Puerto Rican English The Puerto Rican English Writers Association

PR ib i h ld• PR contributions to the world

• Research

• Forums / workshops /seminars

• Recommend policy to all stakeholders

Thank you!Thank you!

the puerto rican acculturation of english literature€¦ · pretest and posttest design ‐...

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