00001 tif THE INCLUSION OF MULTICULTURAL LITERARY TEXTS FROM THE U S WITH THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE A PEDAGOGICAL CONVERGENCE TO FOSTER EFL LEARNERS’ INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE LUIS[.]
THE INCLUSION OF MULTICULTURAL LITERARY TEXTS FROM THE U.S WITH THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A PEDAGOGICAL CONVERGENCE TO FOSTER EFL LEARNERS’ INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE LUIS FERNANDO GOMEZ RODRIGUEZ A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of English ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY 2012 UMI Number: 3538804 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion UMI 3538804 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013 Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC All rights reserved This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 THE INCLUSION OF MULTICULTURAL LITERARY TEXTS FROM THE U.S WITH THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A PEDAGOGICAL CONVERGENCE TO FOSTER EFL LEARNERS’ INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE LUIS FERNANDO GOMEZ RODRIGUEZ DISSERTATION APPROVED: Date Kristin Dykstra, Chair Date Paula Ressler Date Lisya Seloni © 2012 Luis Fernando Gomez Rodriguez THE INCLUSION OF MULTICULTURAL LITERARY TEXTS FROM THE U.S WITH THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A PEDAGOGICAL CONVERGENCE TO FOSTER EFL LEARNERS’ INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE Luis Fernando Gomez Rodriguez 363 Pages December 2012 Employing case study research in an EFL classroom o f the language program at a university in Bogota, Colombia in 2010, the dissertation shows how EFL learners were guided to read multicultural literary short stories to develop intercultural competence through several teaching approaches Chapter one presents the constructs involved in the study, which support the need to promote intercultural competence in the EFL context through culturally diverse literature Chapter two explores the theoretical concepts of intercultural competence as regarded by the areas o f multicultural literature and EFL teaching Chapter three establishes the relationship between multicultural competence and multicultural rubrics for the study of literature, and it describes educational goals often associated with the teaching of multicultural literature of the U.S., as well as their application to EFL instruction Chapter four discusses teaching approaches to multicultural literature used in U.S classrooms and proposes their application in the EFL context It argues that the teaching of multicultural literary texts in EFL should be supported by appropriate teaching approaches that can provide learners with the chance to negotiate meaning and construct intercultural knowledge Chapter five examines the pedagogical value, literary analysis, and multicultural meaning o f literary samples that were selected for the teaching of multicultural literature from the United States in a Colombian EFL classroom Chapter six describes a class in which U S multicultural was taught in an EFL classroom in Bogota, Colombia in 2010 It describes the research type and the research methodology involved in the pedagogical experience to determine how EFL learners fostered intercultural competence Chapter seven presents the qualitative analysis of the data gathered from the participants and observations during the pedagogical case study and the research findings The final section relates the objectives achieved, the final considerations, and the conclusions of the study during this research procedure ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people whom I want to thank I am heartily thankful to my dissertation director, Doctor Kristin Dykstra, whose encouragement, guidance, and support from the preliminary to the concluding level of this study enabled me to develop deep understanding of the research procedure Not only her professional scholarship, but her humanitarian qualities motivated me to work on this important project, which has become a meaningful document for my teaching career I am also endlessly grateful to Doctor Lisya Seloni who helped me to improve my arguments in the TESOL area, Doctor Paula Ressler who assisted me with important pedagogical insights, Doctor Susan Burt whose seminar and tutorial sessions provided me with significant aspects to focus my research thoroughly, and Doctor Cynthia Huff who was a very important person during my internship in Bogota, Colombia, and who visited my home university to supervise my pedagogical research All of them read the study and contributed with insightful remarks to guide my research I also want to thank to the Department of English at Illinois State University, Universidad Pedagogica Nacional de Colombia, and the Fulbright Commission for having given me the great opportunity to my doctoral studies in the USA I am equally grateful with my dearest American friends Phil and Diane Tetley who supported me during my stay in the USA, and who especially took care of me when I was sick I also want to express my gratitude to my dear family: my mother, my four sisters i and my grandma who were a strong emotional support during my studies far away from home, and my friends and coworkers Esperanza Vera and Bertha Osorio who encouraged me to engage in a doctoral program in the USA Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of the project L F G R ii CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i CONTENTS iii TABLES viii FIGURES ix CHAPTERS I CONSTRUCTS FOR CONNECTING INTERCULTURAL AND MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE EFL CLASSROOM, USING CULTURALLY DIVERSE LITERATURES Introduction and Contextualization of the Interdisciplinary Study Type of Study: Qualitative Case Study Theoretical Constructs of the Study EFL Learners Concept of Authentic Texts in the EFL Area and Authentic Literary Texts in the Field of Literature Intercultural and Multicultural Communicative Competence Towards a Definition of Multicultural Literature Statement of the Problem: Current Limitations in EFL Teaching and Learning II TOWARD UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS OF INTERCULTURAL AND MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE Views o f Culture and Interculturality Views of Intercultural and Multicultural Competence The Development of Intercultural Competence in the United States: A Historical Synopsis The Development of Intercultural and Multicultural Communicative Competence in the EFL Context Byram’s Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence and its Relation to Other Authors’ Contributions to its Definition iii 1 11 12 14 14 21 22 23 31 32 40 45 65 73 I INCORPORATING MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM U.S Multicultural Literature in Higher Education Today Educational Goals/ Objectives of Multicultural Literature Articulated in the U.S Academy The Inclusion o f Literature in the Language Classroom: Opponents and Proponents Theory and Practice in the Use of Literary Texts in the EFL Classroom: An Emphasis on the “Mainstream” Theoretical Perspectives for the Inclusion of Literature in EFL Existing Case Studies and Action Research Studies about the Teaching of Literature in EFL II III APPLYING TEACHING APPROACHES TO MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN EFL 85 85 95 98 102 105 111 122 Equity Pedagogy and Approaches to Equity Pedagogy Contextualization of Contact Zones Engagement of Debate and Conflict in the Classroom The practice o f “Historicizing” Relational Teaching Socio-constructivist Pedagogy Inquiry-based Approach Dialogic Approach Content-based Approach 125 127 131 136 139 143 145 147 152 CRITERION FOR THE APPROPRIATE SELECTION OF MULTICULTURAL LITERARY TEXTS IN THE EFL CONTEXT AND THEIR LITERARY VALUE 156 Criterion for Selection of Literary Works Literary Value of the Multicultural Selections Chosen for this Study First Selection of U.S Latino/a Literature: Sandra Cisneros’s “Eleven” Second Section of U.S Latino/a Literature: Sandra Cisneros’s “Woman Hollering Creek” A selection o f Puerto Rican Literature: Emilio Diaz Valcarcel’s “Grandma’s Wake” A selection of Jewish-American Literature: Bernard Malamud’s “The First Seven Years” First Selection of African-American Literature: Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” Second Selection of African-American Literature: Dick Gregory’s “Shame” iv 156 160 161 168 182 194 202 212 VI PEDAGOGICAL INTERVENTION AND RESEARCH DESIGN: THE TEACHING OF MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN AN EFL CLASSROOM IN COLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA: A CASE STUDY Research Design Research Inquiry Context of the Study Setting The Role of the Language Department of UPN in the Colombian Setting Second Language Teaching Approaches Used in the Language Department Description of an American Literature Course at UPN Participants Methodology for the Study Phase One: The Description of the Pedagogical Intervention Phase Two: Procedure Carried out for the Data Collection during the Pedagogical Case Study (Internship) Direct Observation (Field Notes) In-depth Interviewing Students’ Journals Students’ Literary Response Papers VII DATA ANALYSIS: TEACHING MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN AN EFL CLASSROOM AT UPN, COLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA 219 219 220 222 222 225 226 228 229 231 231 255 256 257 258 260 262 Data Coding Process and Grounded Approach Analysis Findings with Respect to UPN Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence Development 262 Themes Related to the Aspect of Knowledge 267 266 The History of the U.S Can Be Studied through Multicultural Literary Texts when Historicizing 267 The Literary Texts Depict Unequal Social Differences and Gender Roles in Both Social and Family Settings through the Characters’ Interactions 272 The Multicultural Literary Texts Provide the Means to Identify and to Learn about Important Traditions and Customs Involving Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds 278 v Themes Related to the Knowledge of Language The Literary Readings Facilitate the Construction of New Vocabulary in Context The Multicultural Literary Pieces Contribute to Enhance Grammatical Competence Themes Related to the Aspect of Skills Questions and Class Discussion Allow Learners to Discover and Explore Ideas/Content Reflected in the Multicultural Readings (Skills o f Discovery) Learners were Able to Interpret Cultural, Literary, and Other Kinds of Content when Reading Multicultural Texts (Skill of Interpreting) Learners were Able to Compare Cross-cultural, Literary, and Other Kinds of Content when Reading Multicultural Texts (Skill of Comparing) The Multicultural Pieces and the Study Guides Promoted the Development of the Reading Skills The Multicultural Literary Selections Engage Students in the Practice of the Speaking Skill in English Literary Texts Allow Students to Think Critically and to Defend a Point of View (Critical Thinking Skills) Themes Related to the Aspect of Attitudes Multicultural Literary Texts Enhance EFL Learners’ Positive Attitudes to Diverse Intercultural Expressions Language Attitudes towards Reading Multicultural Literature in this EFL Experience VIII FINAL CONSIDERATIONS, CONCLUSIONS, AND FURTHER RESEARCH Conclusions of the Research Study Pedagogical Implications for Teaching and/or for Further Research REFERENCES Modem Language Study Program at UPN 344 Consent Form 346 Study Guide Sample to Use Inquiry-based Approach 348 Study Guide for “The First Seven Years” 350 Data Collection Instrument: Observation Sheet (Field Notes) 352 Data Collection Instrument Sample: Observation Sheet # 353 Data Collection Instrument Format: In-depth Interview 356 Data Collection Instrument Sample: In-depth Interview 357 Data Collection Instrument: Journal 360 Data Collection Instrument: Pretest 361 Sample of Coding Process and Units of Analysis Based on Grounded Approach 363 vii TABLES Table Page Literary Pieces for the Pedagogical Intervention in an EFL Classroom 159 Teaching Approaches for the Study of the Multicultural Stories in an EFL Classroom 239 Themes that Emerged from Data Analysis 266 viii FIGURES Figure Page Byram’s Model of Intercultural Communicative Competence ix 75 ... 225 226 228 229 231 231 255 256 257 258 260 262 Data Coding Process and Grounded Approach Analysis Findings with Respect to UPN Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence Development 262 ... 262 Themes Related to the Aspect of Knowledge 267 266 The History of the U.S Can Be Studied through Multicultural Literary Texts when Historicizing 267 The Literary Texts Depict Unequal Social... Literature in EFL II III APPLYING TEACHING APPROACHES TO MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE IN EFL 85 85 95 98 102 105 111 122 Equity Pedagogy and Approaches to Equity Pedagogy Contextualization of Contact Zones