Cultural influence and language acquisition of a Syrian immigrant girl in Alabama
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol7.5.2018Keywords:
culture adaptation, immigrants, home visits, bronfenbrenner, funds of knowledge, language acquisitionAbstract
Using ethnography and case study approaches from qualitative methodology, this study examined a Syrian immigrant child’s language acquisition and culture adaptation in the United States. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with the teachers and the mother of the child, participant observations during home visits, and field notes during classroom observations. The child’s culture and language learning were conceptualized through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1994) ecological model and Funds of Knowledge approach to education (Ferreiro & Teberosky, 1985). The article documented factors that facilitated and negatively impacted on her process of becoming bilingual and her cultural adaptation after moving to an English speaking country. Implications for fostering a better school and home relationship was discussed.
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References
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doi:10.1177/1468798415584692
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doi:10.1080/15348431.2012.631430
Rossman, G. & Rallis, S. (2011). Learning in the Field: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
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doi:10.3102/0034654308317846
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doi:10,4471/ijep.2015.02
Taveras, G. (1998, December 7). Home visits: From the teacher’s perspective. ERIC.
Thomas, R. M. (2005). Comparing theories of child development (6th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Velez-Ibanez, C. G., & Greenberg, J. B. (1992). Formation and transformation of funds of knowledge among U.S.-Mexican households. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 23(4), 313-335.
Bennett, J., & Grant, N. S. (2016). Using an ecomap as a tool for qualitative data collection in organizations. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 28(2), 1-13.
Biesta, G. (2011). From learning cultures to educational cultures: Values and judgements in educational research and educational improvement. International Journal of Early Childhood, 43(3), 199-210.
doi:10.1007/s13158-011-0042-x
Brendtro, L. K. (2006). The vision of Uri Bronfenbrenner: Adults who are crazy about kids. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 15(3), 162-166.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. In International Encyclopedia of Education, 3 (2nd ed). Oxford: Elsevier.
Colbert, J. A. (2010). Welcoming newcomer children: The settlement of young immigrants and refugees: A resource for teachers and others with an interest in supporting the settlement of young children from birth through kindergarten. Canada: Fairmeadow Publication.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among the five approaches (3d ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Dunst, C. J., Bruder, M. B., & Espe-Sherwindt, M. (2014). Family capacity-building in early childhood intervention: Do context and setting matter? School Community Journal, 24(1), 37-48.
Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. (2009). Meta-analytic structural equation modeling of the influences of familycentered care on parent and child psychological health. International Journal of Pediatrics.
doi:10.1155/2009/576840
Faber, N. (2015). Connecting with students and families through home visits. American Educator, 39(3), 24-27.
Ferreiro, E., & Teberosky, A. (1985). Literacy before schooling. Portsmouth, NH: Heineman.
Garrett, J. E., & Holcomb, S. (2005). Meeting the needs of immigrant students with limited English ability. International Education, 35(1), 49-62.
Glenn, C. L. (2002). Two-way bilingual education. Principal, 82, 28-31.
Golasha-Boza, T. (2005). Assessing the advantages of bilingualism for the children of immigrants. Center for Migration Studies of New York, 39(3), 721-753.
Goodman, K. (2005). Making sense of written language: A lifelong journey. Journal of Literacy Research, 37(1), 1-24.
Goodman, Y. M., Watson, D. J., & Burke, C. L. (1987). Reading Miscue Inventory: Alternative procedures. New York, Richard C. Owen Publication.
Hynes, W. (2015). Meet the family: Home visits by teachers help build relationships and create trust with students’ families. Teaching Tolerance, 48, 26-30.
Johnson, E. J., & Johnson A. B. (2016). Enhancing academic investment though home-school connections and building on ELL students’ scholastic funds of knowledge. Journal of Language & Literacy Education, 12(1), 104-121.
Kinney, A. (2015). Compelling counternarratives to deficit discourses: An investigation into the funds of knowledge of culturally and linguistically diverse U.S. elementary students’ households. Qualitative Research in Education, 4(1), 1-25.
doi:10.4471/qre.2015.54
Kocyigit, S. (2015). Family involvement in preschool education: Rationale, problems and solutions for the participants. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(1), 141-157.
Kumar, R., Seay, N., & Karabenick, S. A. (2015). Immigrant Arab adolescents in ethnic enclaves: Physical and phenomenological contexts of identity negotiation. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(2), 201-212.
Lyn, M., & Bates, A. B. (2010). Home visits: How do they affect teachers’ beliefs about teaching and diversity? Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 179-185.
Merriam, S. B. & Tisdell, E. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Meyer, J. A., Mann, M. B., & Becker, J. (2011). A five-year follow-up: Teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of home visits for early elementary children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39, 191-196.
Moll, L. C. (2014). L. S. Vygotsky and education. New York: Routledge.
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132-141.
Nowak-Fabrykowski, K., & Shkandrij, M. (2004). The symbolic world of the bilingual child: Digressions on language acquisition, culture and the process of thinking. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 31(4), 284-292.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th Ed.). Saint Paul, MN: Sage.
Reglin, G. (2002). Project Reading And Writing (R.A.W.): Home visitations and the school involvement of highrisk families. Education, 123(1), 153-160.
Reyes, I., Iddings, A. C. D. S., & Feller, N. (2016). Building relationships with diverse students and families: A funds of knowledge perspective. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 16(1), 8-33.
doi:10.1177/1468798415584692
Rios-Aguilar, C., & Kiyama, J. M. (2012). Funds of Knowledge: An approach to studying Latina(o) students’ transition to college. Journal of Latinos and Education, 11(2),2-16.
doi:10.1080/15348431.2012.631430
Rossman, G. & Rallis, S. (2011). Learning in the Field: An Introduction to Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Smith, S. (2013). Would you step through my door? Visiting low-income kids in their homes often sheds light on their hidden strengths. Educational Leadership, 70(8), 76-78.
Solorzano, R. (2008). High stake testing: Issues, implications, and remedies for English language learners. Review of Education Research, 78(2), 260-329.
doi:10.3102/0034654308317845
Spring, J. (2008). Research on globalization and education. Review of Educational Research, 78(2), 330-363.
doi:10.3102/0034654308317846
Subero, D., Vila, I., & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2015). Some contemporary forms of the Funds of Knowledge approach. Developing culturally responsive pedagogy for social justice. International Journal of Educational Psychology, 4(1), 33-53.
doi:10,4471/ijep.2015.02
Taveras, G. (1998, December 7). Home visits: From the teacher’s perspective. ERIC.
Thomas, R. M. (2005). Comparing theories of child development (6th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Velez-Ibanez, C. G., & Greenberg, J. B. (1992). Formation and transformation of funds of knowledge among U.S.-Mexican households. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 23(4), 313-335.
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Published
2018-10-15
How to Cite
Vardanyan, S., Ernest, J. M., & Perkins, F. (2018). Cultural influence and language acquisition of a Syrian immigrant girl in Alabama. Southeast Asia Early Childhood Journal, 7, 42–51. https://doi.org/10.37134/saecj.vol7.5.2018
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