“Ms. Morales Needs to Go Back to English Class”: Narratives of a Bilingual Latina Preservice English Language Arts Teacher in a Diverse Society

Abstract

This narrative inquiry aims to better understand and document how a bilingual Latina preservice elementary teacher's experiences as an immigrant student and English learner (EL) inform the construction of her professional identity and practice as an English language arts (ELA) educator. Although the study participant voices a lack of confidence, she enacts sound pedagogical practices in light of generative language arts standards and recognition of her biliterate/bilingual resources. Drawing upon sociocultural literacy theory, this research challenges hegemonic narratives that position non-native speakers (NNSs) of English as linguistically deficient and offers counternarratives to ideological discourses around Standard English (SE).

Notes

¹ Alsup (2006) borrows from Gee (1999) and defines “borderland discourse” as a delicately balanced space between established, status quo discourse (i.e., identity performance as “the student” or “the teacher”) and personal, seemingly conflicting discourses. It is a space that allows preservice teachers to combine personal and professional selves and to bring about positive transformations within themselves as teachers and to education as a whole (Alsup, 2006, pp. 39–40).

²Names of people and places are pseudonyms.

³Barbara (a pseudonym) was Patricia's cooperating teacher during her student-teaching semester.