An ethnography of the literacy practices of children in malaysian residential care

AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE LITERACY PRACTICES OF CHILDREN IN MALAYSIAN RESIDENTIAL CARE JENNIFER TAN POH SIM (B. Education (T.E.S.L.) Hons., M.A. (ELS) M’sia) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2007 Acknowledgements This study would not have materialized without the support, understanding and encouragement from a very special group of people. Firstly, I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for wisdom and strength that often superseded my human understanding. For their unfailing love, prayers, quiet support and unwavering belief that I could complete this, I dedicate this thesis to my parents and sisters. I also owe much gratitude to a group of intellectual partners; my thesis supervisor, Dr Christopher Stroud who started this academic journey with me. His insights, comments and field experiences have taught me so much, more than I ever imagined myself capable of learning and experiencing. Dr Lionel Wee, my other supervisor who gave me the confidence to complete the thesis. Truly, I appreciate his meticulous and organized guidance on the last few laps of this journey. Mention must also be made of two of my fellow coursemates and friends; Jessie Teng who shared and exchanged ideas, notes and words of encouragement and Ben Afful who proofread my first complete draft. Lastly, my utmost appreciation goes to the children and staff of the home who have been so welcoming, co-operative and patient during my fieldwork. I am humbled by the openness and trust you have placed in me from the moment I stepped inside the door. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page Introduction 1.0 Overview 1.1 Background to the problem 1.2 Statement of the problem 1.3 Justification for the study 1.4 Research questions: exploring the issues of power and identity 1.5 Significance of the study 11 1.6 Overview of the thesis 13 PART II – SETTING THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY 16 Conceptualisations of the New Literacy Studies approach 2.0 Introduction 18 2.1 Different conceptions/notions of literacy 19 2.2 The ‘New Literacy Studies (NLS)’ approach 22 2.2.1 The scope of New Literacy Studies (NLS) 25 2.3 Central conceptual issues in New Literacy Studies 31 2.3.1 The concept of power in New Literacy Studies 32 2.3.2 Identity in New Literacy Studies 34 2.4 Multilingualism in New Literacy Studies 36 2.5 The role of parental and non parental intervention in literacy 38 2.5.1 The parent, the child and literacy: some research findings on parental involvement and children’s early literacy development 38 2.5.2 Mediators of literacy 43 2.6 Summary 46 iii Theoretical Framework 3.0 Introduction 49 3.1 Defining power 49 3.1.1 The Foucaultian perspective 50 3.1.1.1 Institutional power 51 3.1.2 Forms of capital for social transformation and change: A Bourdesian approach 54 3.2 Exploring identities: Goffman’s presentation of self in everyday life 59 3.3 Summary 63 Ethnography as the method for inquiry 4.0 Introduction 66 4.1 What is ethnography? 67 4.2 Negotiating and addressing issues in the research design 70 4.2.1 An ‘ethnographer-activist’: performing ‘multiple roles and constructing multiple identities’ 72 4.2.2 From descriptive to critical ethnography: making an informed decision 75 4.2.3 Ensuring privacy and anonymity 77 4.3 Time spent in the field 78 4.4 Sources of data and field techniques 78 4.5 Methods used to collect data 80 4.5.1 Interviewing 80 4.5.2 Observations and field notes 83 4.5.3 Documents, texts and children’s products and photographs 85 4.6 Analysing the data 87 4.7 Summary 88 iv PART III- ORIENTING THE STUDY 90 Entering the Home and meeting its residents 5.0 Introduction 92 5.1 A brief history of the Malaysian welfare system 92 5.2 Choosing between a private of state-run home 94 5.2.1 Choosing a home 96 5.3 The Home 99 5.3.1 The supervisor 100 5.3.2 The physical structure of the home 101 5.3.3 The housekeeper (and staff) 105 5.3.4 The children 109 5.3.5 Communicating with one another: learning a second (or third) language in the home 119 5.3.6 The volunteers 5.4 Summary 121 124 Literacy in the Home 6.0 Introduction 126 6.1 The timetable 127 6.1.1 Regulating daily activities with the timetable 6.1.2 As a representation of institutional authority 128 132 6.1.3 Performing acts of literacy around the timetable to create identities and save face 133 6.1.4 The reversal of power through the timetable: challenging authority 6.1.5 Summarising the significance of the timetable 6.2 Literacy situations in the home 136 138 139 v 6.2.1 Religion related literacy events 142 6.2.2 School-related literacy situations 144 6.2.3. Leisure-related literacy situations 149 6.2.4. Everyday literacy situations 150 6.3 A summary of literacy practices in the home 152 6.4 Summary 154 PART IV – ENGAGING WITH THE STUDY 156 Literacy for religious purposes: harkening to differing voices of authority 7.0 Introduction 159 7.1 Navigating the chapter 159 7.2 Choices of texts and digital paraphernalia 161 7.2.1 Coping with the rules and regulations: strategies used in defiance to imposition of censorship 165 7.3 Devotion with the Supervisor 169 7.3.1 Analysing the event 172 7.4 Devotion with Chris 177 7.4.1 Introducing Chris 177 7.4.2 Reading a story from the Bible 178 7.5 A comparison of both religious events 183 7.6 Summary 186 Learning the literacies of school 8.0 Introduction 191 8.1 The role of play 192 8.2 Megala and Reuben play school before ‘real class’ begins 194 8.3 Inside the classroom 196 vi 8.3.1 Vignette 1: Reading about dinosaurs 197 8.3.2 Vignette : Writing on the whiteboard 199 8.4 Observations of both events 201 8.5 Reading with Caleb and Megala: Vignette 209 8.5.1 Observations of the event 210 8.6 The semiotics of language and literacy in identity construction 214 8.7 Language learning and expectations 214 8.8 The story of Caleb and friends 216 8.8.1 Caleb’s reasons for speaking English 217 8.8.2 Mei equates the lack of language and literacy skills to an unsuccessful future 220 8.8.3 Matthew’s reasons for the learning the English language 222 8.9 Discussion of the interviews 223 8.10 Summary 227 Engaging in the social practices of literacy 9.0 Introduction 232 9.1 Reading as a social practice 233 9.1.1 Reading to marginalize 236 9.1.1.1 Carmen and Kristina read ‘Functions of the body’237 9.1.2 Discussion of reading as a social practice in the home 238 9.2 Literacy for communication purposes 240 9.3 Convincing performances: articulating the thoughts of another through writing activities 241 9.3.1 Vignette 1: Making thank you cards 242 9.3.2 Vignette : Writing letters 245 9.3.3 Similar thread of themes in the letters 247 vii 9.3. Commentary on both vignettes 9.4 Literacy for documentation purposes 248 251 9.4.1 Vignette: Writing in the ‘receipt book’ as a form of acknowledgement when receiving the next day’s allowance 252 9.5 Summary 254 10.0 Introduction 257 10.1 Findings 259 10 Conclusions 10.1.1 Institutional mediated literacy 261 10.1.2 The implications of the ‘material consequences of literacy’ on power relations and identity works in the home 263 10.1.3 The implications of non-parental intervention as mediators of syncretic literacies in the home 267 10.1.4 Practical implications to the study of institutional mediated literacy 269 10.2 The Study’s limitations and moving forward 272 10.3 Concluding thoughts and reflections 274 REFERENCES 278 APPENDICES 301 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The staff profiles 106 Figure 2: The children’s profiles 118 Figure 3: The volunteers and foster parents profiles 123 Figure 4: Timetable of the daily activities 130 Figure 5: The different literacy related activities 151 ix Summary This is an ethnographic study that seeks to understand the literate world of children from diverse familial backgrounds, but at present living in one particular residential home in multi-ethnic Malaysia. While residential homes generate a lot of publicity especially during the festive seasons, very little is in fact known of the residents, not to mention the lack of research on literacy, which is indeed surprising, given its extensive influence on their daily lives. For example, daily literacy activities in the home could range from reading the grocery bills or the ingredients on the back of a food packet, to participating in reading festive cards sent by the public during specific festivals, to tuition and devotion sessions with volunteers. Given its institutional context, this study has two broad aims; firstly to explore the notions of power and/or equity that are inter-related to the constructions or negotiations of identities amongst the children in the home as they learn to become socially adept, accepted or even highly regarded amongst one another. Literacy is viewed as a set of social practices and considered in terms of literacy events and practices. The assumption taken on here is that literate practices have convertible exchange values as forms of capital (Bourdieu, 1993), and as a result are a catalyst for social transformation and/or change. Secondly, the study considers a wider framework for community involvement and suggests an alternative to the general assumption that acknowledges the central role of parents in children’s literacy development. The study found that the literacy practices and events in the institution in fact contribute significantly towards the formation of individual identities. It also x Appendix 11 Devotion with the supervisor and the children S- Supervisor M- Matther C- Caleb S M S M S M S S C S Say after me, ok, …when there’s someone else…(children repeat) who is saying something (children repeat) That I need to hear If I’m easily distracted it will not be very clear I must listen very closely to the things they have to say I will choose to be attentive Every hour every day Ok, we’re going to start the song. This song tells us that showing the worth of a person is by giving full attention to them, but if, say, Caleb is looking outside there (Caleb was looking around), you think it’s very attentive? The story of the deer…now one day, there’s this deer who was out in the forest…and there was this big cougar. You know what’s a cougar or not? No…. It’s like a big tiger like that, like a cheetah, very big. Oh, like a puma? Ah yes, anyway… But the deer’s mother was listening very carefully because she was very attentive so she saved her deer and brought him to safety. Imagine if she was not attentive,…oh dear…, what you think will happen to the little deer? You see, the deer has very special ears, their ears ah…can turn different ways (shows using her hands how the ears turn)…very special you know. Ok, lets sing the song again ok, when there’s someone else who’s saying something I need to hear (plays the song on the radio) (Interrupts)….Hannah!… Oh, you see, you’re not attentive again (song is played, children sing along and the actions) sung twice 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ok, let me go through again,…sit down, sit down please… I will show the work of what they have to say, (sings), I will be attentive, so very attentive I will show (show) the work of what … they have to say, have to say, that means, if we’re saying something very important, and people listen, it shows that you’re very important. So if someone is talking, and you’re talking, (Carmen!) what does it show? If you’re talking and your friend is talking, how does that show? You’re not special And when I am tempted to not be attentive because some else is distracting you, say, your friend is playing basketball or you hear your neighbour talking or something, you can choose, cause, attentiveness is a 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 328 choice you will…choose to be attentive ANYWAY. SO, WE ALL NEED OT ASK God to help us to be attentive, because we should ask, the Bible says in God’s word, we should ask, so that we can become wiser and wiser everyday. How, how you make sure you’re attentive? Ok, say this after me. (Holds up her right hand, puts it on her heart in pledge). I will (children repeat after her every sentence) Look at people when they speak to me I will ask questions If I don’t understand I wil sit or stand up straight I will not draw attention to myself I will keep my eyes, ears, hands, feet and mouth From distraction Amen. Ok, lets pray. (children close their eyes, and bow their heads) Father God, (children repeat after her every sentence) Give us ears to listen we pray Give us the strength To give attention To the people around us Amen. Ok… 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 329 Appendix 12 Devotion with Chris and the children C- Chris K- Kristina G- Gaya C K G C Children C Lewis C Children C Children C C G C G C M C C Children C Children Okay, somebody, who wants to pray? (before the Bible reading starts) We’ll start from my right ok? Kristina? (children laugh and giggle because no one wants to start) (Prays and ends prayer with Amen. The prayer can hardly be heard, it’s a lot of mumbling but the Amen comes out loud and clear and is echoed by the rest of the children) And all the children say… (everyone says it together again loudly, almost shouting, AMEN) Ok, have you all done any of these before? (looks through the Children’s Bible- contains Bible stories for children) No No? I got Adam and Eve before So you haven’t started on this one (the Children’s Bible)? Not yet. Ok, we’re going to start on this one ok? (flips through the pages) Looks interesting. How about story of creation? Ok Ok, everybody, read one paragraph, loud and clear, slowly. (at this point, the children were talking among themselves and not paying attention) Everybody, quiet… (Reads from the Bible). God created the sky and the earth (pauses 3secs). The earth was (pauses secs) empty and had no form. Darkness covered ah…(pauses secs) the… (Prompts) Ocean Ocean The reading goes on for a while. Children are prompted by Chris whenever they cannot understand or are unable to pronounce certain words. Some children are prompted almost word for word) Michelle, you read the second paragraph again…then God said… Then God said…let there be light and there was light… Reading session continues. Chris asks Matthew to read the whole chapter again when all the children have had their turn at a paragraph each. Ruben was not called to read though because he cannot read. Listen carefully ah, after I am going to ask you questions… (Matthew reads) Do you understand the story? Who made the world? God Who made you and I? God 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 330 C Children C Children C Children C Children M G C G K C K Michele C R C Children G M G C Children C Children C Children G C G Children G C G C Albert C G C So who’s our Heavenly Father? God What about out fathers and mothers here on earth? Who made them then? God So, (someone sneezes and says ‘excuse me’)… who is our real father? God And our fathers and mothers are only guardians ok? So, What did He create? Sun, moon, stars, everything All living things and all non living things The table, the chair, fan… That’s good. What did He create on the first day? He create tree…? No… Light and darkness Yes, Water Water and air (Turns to researcher) Looks like they know their Bible stories quite well don’t they? Yeah, they do. Questions and answers go on for a while Ok, what did God tell Adam and Eve not to do? All the fruit you can eat only the middle part And they never listen, then eatlah, so They were tempted by Satan (Acts out temptation…holds an imaginary apple in her hand) This is very nice…this fruit cannot eat one, eatlah… (the rest laugh) (Looks at G and quickly asks another question) So who tempted Eve to eat from the fruit? Snake Satan Satan, snake The serpent Snake Eh, last time the snake can talk one ah? (Ignores her) What did the snake say to Eve? There, eat this, its very nice (said in a very teasing manner) Good, you can get clever No Yes Yes, you become like God Yes, you can become like God And then you can have a lot of money (G interrupts: No he didn’t say that) Ok, so why did the snake say that? Because he want the girl to shy (Michelle interrupts: No, disobey God) Yes, disobey God right? And then what happened when she took the 24 25 26 27 28 29 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 331 Albert M C G C Lewis C Children C G C Children Matt Ruth C Matt K Children C G C fruit? Sin No! she gave it to Adam Yes, so Adam also sinned right? Yes. And then the fruit got stuck (points to her throat) So all the boys got this (points to imaginary bump at throat) Yes, that’s why it’s called Adam’s apple right? Why I don’t have one? You will have it. Ok, so Adam has got to work and Eve has got to bear children Ya, and then God said, when your children grow big will got problem Ah, who is the problem here? The big son Who’s the good one? Cain Abel murdered Kane (Interrupts) I think it’s the opposite… (Laugh) I always get it mixed up. Ok, who murdered who? C murdered Abel. So what did you learn from today’s lesson? Creation Don’t hide from God Sin, obey So if we sin, what must we do? Confess right? Then we repent. What is repent? Means don’t it again… Session ends with prayers said by the children. They are asked to pray for specific people, for example, Chris, the researcher, Ruth, the supervisor and they themselves. Surprisingly, no one remembered to say a prayer for Alice. 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 332 Appendix 13 Interview with Caleb R- Researcher C- Caleb C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R I run away come here How did you come? I take the train, the current train I just go in just sit down then I stay one night in the balai polis, then I go to mahkamah then they check then they bring me here, then Aunty Jasmine find out the send me to school, take my I.C., then I can stay here lah Oh, last time you got go to school? This is the first time you go to school? Ya Can you read and write? No What can you do? Alphabets? Can. Little bit Little bit. When did you learn how to read alphabets? Just my aunty all teach me, I know how to see only, I cannot write. I know how to see When you came to Compassion Home, did someone teach you how to write? Ya So how long already you’ve been here? I’ve been here like two months, come here I learn my English, everything Two months only? Can you speak English? Last time could you speak English? No. because I come this home I don’t know how to speak English, they all speak English then I talk up myself, say to my name, then aunty jasmine say, if people ask my name, then you say like that all. So besides that how did you learn how to speak English? I say first lah, my name, then I pick up my English, they all talking what bad things, good things, I ask from them lah, this means what, what to tell English, Who teaches you? One aunty, aunty jerry Now who teaches you? Nobody, I learn myself Tell me how you learn Everyday I learn learn, everyday they all talking English, I learn, practise, practise and then practise already I can talk already In school can you speak bahasa? Ya So in school you talk English or bahasa English teacher come I talk English, bahasa teacher come I talk bahasa lah So now if people talk to you in English, you understand? 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 333 C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C Ya Do you like to go to school? Ya Tell me what you in school? I just learn listen what the teacher say, write, teacher say write I write, listen only Reading, writing no? I writing got, I writing with the teacher, teacher say write ah, then I write ah What about books here? Do you have books? You like to read? Ya, I like to read, I don’t know how to read So what you do? You look at the pictures only? Ya, I look at the pictures only, I don’t know how to read. Sometime I ask people to read for me. So how are you going to learn to read slowly On Friday, aunty wai ling comes and teach you how to read? Ya, she teach me, ba ‘ba’(pronunciation-phonetics) like that Ok, you think that going to school is important/ Ya because go to school little bit can learn and then anywhere we all go we all big ready we all go anywhere we all take buy car, we all take out our house and then we all look the sign board we all learn how to read like that and then people ask how your name, how you pick this car how you go to school and then any work also, no study cannot work. Ya, but you find it hard? Are you helping yourself? Ya. Helping myself, I just little bit, I learnlah I not very fast to learn, just little bit little bit How you feel when sometimes you don’t know how to read ah? Feel sad also You think, how long you give yourself to be able to read ah? Just ask the people You think by the time you finish PMR you can read or not? I cannot In school how if you cannot read? I don lah the answer, some correct some no Does your teacher help you? No, exam time no helping lah, other time he helping So now how you think you can help yourself? How are you going to help yourself? Just the teacher say what, to write sign board, I learnlah ask to teacher how this one, how like that. Here, you your homework or not? Ya You everyday? No teacher only give, then I but everyday people tuition come, I with them What kind of subjects you tuition? There, mathematic, spelling things like ball… What about writing, can you write? Ya, I can write little bit 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 334 R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R C R R C R C R C R C R C Tell me, how, if you cannot read, how can you write? Because teacher say mah, how to write, I copy the signboard mah, the blackboard Oh that means you cannot read a book but you can copy and write Ya So like this one (points to some words) can you read that? (shakes head) You cannot, but ask you to copy, you can? Ya That means you can write alphabets Ya Do you think English is important? Ya, English, malay English is important? 72 73 Ya Why? Because anybody go England, people all come talk with me English, I don’t know they think I never study Here, is there anybody who help you? Ya, aunty lilian How? No, aunty Jerry, she say, you write and read,ah, for myself, not for them because I write and read ah, when I go out, can see mah, the words, cannot ask people after we so shy. who else? Aunty Annie, Aunty Jasmine Do other help you in the home? Mei mei, sarah, Hannah, matthew How? I ask them they all say, they read one part, I follow them like that Is that helpful? So who does that for you? Mei mei, and then sarah, Hannah If you find anything which is difficult and you cannot, what happens? Feel so sad lah, I cannot read, and study, just take easy book lah So you take easy book and what you do? Just ask aunty annie, read So when you feel sad what you do? Will you try I wont try, cannot read Why you think by the time PMR, three more years, you cannot read? Why? I don’t know, I standard one until standard three I no go to school. I cannot read also, so shy. 84 85 86 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 335 Appendix 14 Interview with Mei R- Researcher M- Mei R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M Ok, tell me before you came to the home and now, how are your studies like? Before, before, like when I was in the school, I don’t know how to read then I only know how to talk Cantonese, Mandarin, English I just know a bit only, not very well. Then the problem, I move here lah How long have you been here? Five years, five and the half, before I was here, I was so new, I don’t know how to say, don’t know how to introduce myself to people, then I just know how to like very quiet, then few years in my school, I learn from my tuition teacher, I learn how to , how to, teach us how to read and write. Those that come to the home you mean? The volunteers? Yes. At first when she came, she take a book and ask me to write, I was so frightened, I don’t know how to, so I tell her my problem I tell her o don’t know how to read, I tell her everything. Then she tell me, she taught me everything, then after that few years, got exam, then the tuition teacher asked why you so sad, I told her I got exam very soon. Then she teach me a bit lah, then last time, when I was in Standard Three, I was in Chinese school, no tuition teacher was here, then when I came here, the church member came and they all teach us. Then Saturday Sunday, people from college they will come and teach us, play with us. So when my result came out, I did ok and the aunty say, keep it up. So until today its ok lah When you first came you cannot speak English right? How did you learn how to speak? Learn from like people, I learn from aunty jerry, aunty lilian, aunty selvi, a lot of aunty. Do you like to go to school Ok, can What you like When I first in school, I got a lot of friend, in class but I don’t know how to the work. Then when I come back aunty jasmine will tell me to my homework, have to cannot, must homework lah, if not you cannot well in the exam so from that day onwards I learn how to my homework everything. Do you study everyday Not really Why? Because when I don’t have homework, I will read a story book 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 336 R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M Ok,do you like reading? Like What kind of books you read? Enid blyton, comics, then I read if I was bored, I would read my textbook like BM, English, and if don’t have, I will go to the library and take some books to read. Do you read all the time Not really, because sometimes the whole week got tuition but if the teacher is not well and cannot come, But like aunty annie, she will teach us how to take a book and read lah What if you come across a book that is difficult to read, what you ah? Then if I don’t know to read, I will ask, the word if I don’t know I will ask lah Who? Aunty annie. Do you ask Hannah and sarah? Ya, sometimes I ask them but now they are also very busy with their exam also, PMR, SPM So I don’t disturb them, I ask Aunty Jasmine, sometime Aunty Annie, sometime Aunty Jerry, Aunty Lillian Do you think reading and writing is important to you? Ya Why? Because if I don’t know how to write and read, I wont get good result and if I got big, I don’t know what to do, what ambition to do, then I have to learn Do you like Fridays when aunty wai ling comes? Ya, I like. She brought a lot of interesting storybooks and then I will read lah, Do you find it helpful? I will ask aunty to lend me the book Do you find your English had improved? Ya, a lot In school, how you in school, what are your results like? Ok, Give me an example I still pass although the march one was difficult, but I got c for that 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 337 Appendix 15 Interview with Matthew R- Researcher M- Matthew R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M Ok, tell me how long you’ve been here Matthew? I stay here almost three years When you came did you know how to speak English, did you know how to read and write? No I don’t kow how to speak English What did you speak? Chinese Could you read and write Yes but I cannot write English Bahasa little bit Can you read when you first came here? No Now? Yes Ok tell me how did you learn how to read. I learn some of the aunty teaching me, aunty annie How Ask us to read until we can read How? Just take a story book, teach us what is the word Some like writing in the book, like spelling What other ways In school, did you learn? Yes In the home, besides aunty annie, how did you learn? Try to read ownself But if you don’t know the meaning how? Just ask other people How did you learn how to speak English then? Stay in the house for a long time How did you learn? Just get from other people? How? They will speak, just follow What about writing? Not very good What kind of books you like to read? Stories, schoolbook, any storybooks What is your favourite All the books, comics I got read Ok on Fridays, you like that activitiy? Oh yes, Why? To help my English 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 338 R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M Do you learn anything? Yes What? We must share to sit, we cannot shout when teacher is reading, we must let the small one to sit in front and the older one sit behind so that the little one can see Oh, who taught you that? Learn from aunty jasmine You sit where? I sit behind So who sits infront then? Megala,Carmen and Kei Kei How you in school? Do you very well? I not very well, I need more study. Who help you in your study? Got some visitor, my tuition teacher. Like uncle Jason Ya he teach me science How does he teach you? Like some of the word, I don’t know, he tell me the meaning You think that is helpful? Yes because he help me learn, so that when I grow up, I can have a good future Why you think it is important to have a good future? If we don’t have a good future, we’ll end up with like a beggar, asking people for money You don’t like that? Yes, I don’t like that Do you think learning to read and write is important? Yes Why? So that we can have a good work What about English? Do you think learning English is good? Ya? Same reason Yes Are you helping yourself better in school? Ya Ya, how? Read the UPSR books Do you think you will well? Yes How many A’s you think you can get? Five In school, what did you get for your last exam? Some of them are not very good Like what? Like mathematics What did you get? Twenty something 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 339 R M R M R M Over hundred? Then how to improve? When is the UPSR? September Another two months more. Do you think you can get an A from now to then? (nods) Can? How? Study 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 340 341 342 343 [...]... 2.2.1 The scope of New literacy Studies (NLS) The interest of NLS in exploring the diverse form of literacy has led to its emphasis on the study of ‘vernacular’ or non-dominant literacy practices in communities, such as the work place, the home, the neighbourhood and other social institutions Many studies have sustained an interest in exploring the ideological underpinnings of different literacy practices. .. 20 Today, the narrower definitions of literacy as the ability to read and write traditional print materials’ have been rejected by many educators as not honouring the role of listening, speaking and experiencing in the comprehension and understanding of the texts Understanding of the concept of literacy has evolved from a focus on the ability of an individual to read and/or write to include an appreciated... explain their success (or failure) in learning the language The institution, in keeping with its ideologies and aims, hopes to effect positive changes in the lives of the children Not surprisingly, certain languages are preferred over others; in this case English becomes the main language used since it carries with it certain prestige and other possibilities In other words, English language in the home,... Bourdieu and 13 Erving Goffman) in order to permit a sophisticated and textured account of notions of power and identity, on the one hand, and their linkage with practices of literacy, on the other hand Relating to the study’s context, specifically an institution, this means that the articulation of an understanding of how power is being considered is taken from Bourdieu’s (1986) notions of power and capital... from the question of instruction and proposes that: we step back from the question of instruction, back to an even more basic ‘basic’, the social meaning of literacy: that is, the roles these abilities play in social life; the varieties of reading and writing available for choice; the contexts of the performance; and the manner in which they are interpreted and tested, not by experts, but by ordinary... Issue 12 domains such as the school, the home, the community are blended, where other mediators of literacy are involved, instead of the parents being exclusively seen as principal mediators of children s literacy, and the use of various methods and activities which constitute literacy practices and events In this study’s context, syncretic literacy will refer to the intermingling or merging of culturally... complex forms of processing With these additions to the view of literacy (besides being acts of reading and writing), then talk is also part of literacy Literacy events such as bedtime story reading, writing notes, grocery lists, creating puns, jokes, and poems all testify to the close integration of oral and literate practices in children s lives Langer (1987) further extended on the notions of literacy. .. moments (Bakhtin) offers us a vision in which the educated individual calls upon a multi-layered history of experiences with language and content, cutting across many contexts.’ (Langer, 2001: 838) Therefore, with the ever expanding range of the meaning of literacy, it is common nowadays to speak of various kinds of literacy: cultural literacy, critical literacy, 21 information literacy, computer literacy, ... work and provides the background information of the study, the home and the informants Chapter Six continues with an elaboration on the different literacy practices and events in the home, and shows how the time-table regulates the daily activities of children in the home Here, the syncretism of literacy practices becomes obvious as readers are shown the different activities, mediated by a host of people... all, of these programmes involve literacy in one form or another As a result, literacy is integral to the children s everyday life, not only from the schooling perspective but also from the perspective of the social networks that exist within the home This is seen in not only the interpersonal relationships among the tenants but also the relationships between the tenants, on the one hand, and the staff, . important issues to address, little is known of the literacy practices of tenants living in residential care. This lack of research comes as a 3 surprise, considering the role of literacy in the. language, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects such as Hokkien and Cantonese, are spoken by the Chinese, with Tamil and other Indian dialects such as Malayalam and Telegu spoken by the Indians only the interpersonal relationships among the tenants but also the relationships between the tenants, on the one hand, and the staff, volunteers and visitors, on the other hand, in their