Tesis profesional presentada por Jane Zearing Kimbrough Naismith

Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada. Departamento de Lenguas. Escuela de Artes y Humanidades, Universidad de las Américas Puebla.

Jurado Calificador

Presidente: Dr. Robert Thomas Jiménez
Secretario y Director: Dr. Patrick Henry Smith Ashmore
Vocal: Dr. Roberto Herrera Herrera

Cholula, Puebla, México a 9 de enero de 2004.

Abstract

This case study examined the biliteracy practices at a private middle-upper class bilingual school in Mexico. Two main objectives were to compare the differences and similarities between literacy instruction in the Spanish and English classroom and the strategies students applied during literacy activities. Data were collected through classroom observation, teacher, student and parent interviews, document analysis of students’ literacy work and school documents, photographs and video footage of literacy instruction.

The results reflected that literacy instruction in the Spanish and English classrooms were different and that students tended to use the teacher-taught strategies in the classroom. The study also revealed that students were not always able to transfer literacy skills interchangeable from their L1 and their L2 due to differences in the Spanish and English classrooms’ curriculum.

Table of content

Chapter 1. Literature review

  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Overview and Motivation for the Study
  • 1.3 Literature Review
  • 1.4 Theoretical Framework
  • 1.5 Students´ Developing Theories about Literacy
  • 1.6 Research Design

Chapter 2. School context

  • 2.1 Bilingual Education in Mexico
  • 2.2 Elite Bilingualism
  • 2.3 General Informatio n about the Binational School (TBS)
  • 2.4 Preschool Context
  • 2.5 Literacy at TBS
  • 2.6 First English Context
  • 2.7 Participating Teachers
  • 2.8 Selected Classrooms

Chapter 3. Methodology

  • 3.1 Design
  • 3.2 Setting and Participants
  • 3.3 Student Participants
  • 3.4 Profile of the Case Study Students
  • 3.5 Reading Materials
  • 3.6 Interview Questions Asked of Participating Teachers and Students
  • 3.7 Data Collection Procedures

Chapter 4. Results

  • 4.1 Possible Outcomes
  • 4.2 Teacher-Produced Texts
  • 4.3 Environmental Print
  • 4.4 Reading Activities in the Spanish and English Classrooms
  • 4.5 Writing
  • 4.6 Writing in the Spanish Classroom
  • 4.7 Children´s Strategies for Writing
  • 4.8 Children´s Strategies for Reading
  • 4.9 Children´s Developing Understandings of the Purpose of Literacy
  • 4.10 Teachers´ Understandings about Literacy
  • 4.11 Conclusion

Chapter 5. Discussion and conclusion

  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Research Questions
  • 5.3 Important Questions and Issues that Developed During the Study
  • 5.4 Implications for Practice at TBS
  • 5.5 Implications for Future Research
  • 5.6 Limitations of the Study
  • 5.7 Conclusion

References

Appendix A. Spanish evaluation rubric

Appendix B. English evaluation rubric

Appendix C. Teacher and student interview quesitons

Appendix D. Spanish reading worksheet

Kimbrough Naismith, J. Z. 2004. Literacy Learning and Instruction in a Mexican Bilingual School. Tesis Maestría. Lingüística Aplicada. Departamento de Lenguas, Escuela de Artes y Humanidades, Universidad de las Américas Puebla. Enero. Derechos Reservados © 2004.