Papers by Christina M . Ponzio
Harnessing multimodality in language teacher education: expanding English-dominant teachers’ translanguaging capacities through a Multimodalities Entextualization Cycle
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
Confronting ideologies: A discourse analysis of in- service teachers' translanguaging stance through an ecological lens
This study considers the potential for translanguaging to disrupt monolingual ideologies through ... more This study considers the potential for translanguaging to disrupt monolingual ideologies through development of in-service teachers’ (ISTs) translanguaging stance. Using discourse analysis, we examined learning outcomes among five ISTs to consider what ideological constraints limited their adoption of a translanguaging stance and how, if at all, they moved beyond these constraints. Findings highlight micro-, meso-, and macrolevel influences that constrained ISTs’ adoption of translanguaging and the productive ways they imagined addressing these limitations. Included are implications for how teacher education might support teachers in adopting a translanguaging stance.
In this chapter, we present two case studies of a pre-service and in-service teacher as they make... more In this chapter, we present two case studies of a pre-service and in-service teacher as they make sense of translanguaging as theory and pedagogy with particular attention to their adoption of a translanguaging stance. Specifically, we asked: What course and field experiences support PST and ISTs' adoption of a translan-guaging stance as a part of their knowledge and dispositions as TESOL educators? Our data, comprised of multimodal discussion posts, teaching artifacts, and reflective journals, reveal that through the interplay of coursework and field experiences, Elle and Katie problematize their personal language ideologies, confront resistance to translanguaging at the school, district, and state levels, and recognize the interplay between their individual convictions and the systemic barriers in schooling. At the close of our chapter, we outline the implications of this work for teacher education programs that are committed to having their students engage in translanguaging praxis. We conclude with examples and recommendations for structuring course and fieldwork to support teacher preparation and education through a translanguag-ing lens.
(Re)Imagining a translingual self: Shifting one monolingual teacher candidate's language lens
Linguistics and Education, 2020
While extant scholarship has examined the development of in-service teachers' translingual dispos... more While extant scholarship has examined the development of in-service teachers' translingual disposition (Canagarajah, 2013), less is known about how teacher education might foster the development of a translingual disposition among monolingual native English-speaking (NES) teacher candidates (TC). Using van Leeuwen's (2008) critical discourse analysis, this study investigates how one NES TC negotiates assimilationist language ideologies in the U.S. throughout the development of her translingual disposition through an English as a Second Language teaching practicum course. Findings reveal that while it is possible for a monolingual NES TC to develop a translingual disposition, the process is messy and often butts up against well-sedimented ideologies. Implications suggest that teachers and teacher educators alike must problematize broader ideologies and their own culpability in perpetuating linguistic and racialized oppression in order to develop the translingual dispositions needed to co-construct classrooms as democratic translanguaging spaces.
“You can Talk in Espagñol!”: An Ethnographic case Study of an African-American Emergent Bilingual and Biliterate Identity
Reading Psychology, 2020
This ethnographic case study explores the dynamic and fluid development of one African-American s... more This ethnographic case study explores the dynamic and fluid development of one African-American student’s bilingual/biliterate identity through her enrollment in a Spanish-English Dual Language Education program. We integrate the frameworks of identity in interaction and monoglossic and raciolinguistic language ideologies to understand how this student approaches her Spanish language and literacy development from kindergarten to grade 5. The study documents the fluid nature of the focal student, Tamara’s, identity as she journeyed from a Spanish enthusiast in kindergarten who embraced her emerging bilingualism/biliteracy to a student who seemed to question her identity as Spanish literate person. Specifically, we examine her affective response to developing bilingualism and biliteracy. We identify three paradoxical influences, or double-binds, in how she was differently positioned across multiple interactions as a bilingual African-American student.
In the past decade, researchers have argued for translanguaging as an instructional approach that... more In the past decade, researchers have argued for translanguaging as an instructional approach that radically re-conceptualizes educators' views on multilingualism as an asset. Teacher education programs play a pivotal role in preparing teachers who enact this vision. Research on teachers' receptivity to translanguaging's epistemological (re)orientation towards mainstreaming multilingualism, however, remains scarce. To redress this gap, this study investigated mainstream preservice teachers' uptake of translanguaging theories while taking an online ESOL methods course required for TESOL certification. Through the analysis of interview data and participants' written reflections and coursework, we explored preservice teachers' beliefs and the evolution of their views on language learning, language, linguistic diversity, and translanguaging over the course of one semester. Findings highlight the challenges and potential benefits of including translanguaging theories in mainstream and TESOL teacher preparation programs' curricula.
English Journal, 2019
To develop a welcoming classroom, the authors implemented a "spacious teaching" model in their wo... more To develop a welcoming classroom, the authors implemented a "spacious teaching" model in their work with immigrant-origin youth participating in a summer program.
Bilingual Research Journal, 2019
This study considers the potential for translanguaging to disrupt monolingual ideologies through ... more This study considers the potential for translanguaging to disrupt monolingual ideologies through development of in-service teachers’ (ISTs) translanguaging stance. Using discourse analysis, we examined learning outcomes among five ISTs to consider what ideological constraints limited their adoption of a translanguaging stance and how, if at all, they moved beyond these constraints. Findings highlight micro-, meso-, and macrolevel influences that constrained ISTs’ adoption of translanguaging and the productive ways they imagined addressing these limitations. Included are implications for how teacher education might support teachers in adopting a translanguaging stance.
English Journal , 2018
As educators, we are challenged to create opportunities for youth to express their voices through... more As educators, we are challenged to create opportunities for youth to express their voices through democratic dialogue. Research demonstrates that student-centered discussions promote greater engagement, fostering personal investment in sustained classroom dialogue. Teachers can act as facilitators who apprentice students in academic discourse practices, such as how to ask meaningful questions or respectfully disagree with classmates. In a heterogeneous classroom that includes English learners and less vocal students, Google Forms has been an easy-to-use tool to administer before whole-class discussions to foster broader engagement. Here, Ponzio and Matthusen promoting student-centered discussion with digital tools and infographics.
Journal of Research in Childhood Education , 2019
In 2017, 53,716 refugees entered the United States; the state of Michigan ranks sixth in refugee ... more In 2017, 53,716 refugees entered the United States; the state of Michigan ranks sixth in refugee resettlement numbers. Each year, nearly 600 new refugees settle in Newtown, Michigan, which is now home to more than 20,000 newcomers who represent diverse language and ethnic groups. In this ethnographic case study, the authors investigated the ways in which a summer camp program for middle and high school immigrant and refugee youth provided opportunities for English language development. Data sources included interviews with four focal youth and two instructors, 19 days of observation field notes, audio and video recordings of observations, and research memos. Based on a systematic process of coding and constant comparative analyses, the findings suggest that the program created conditions for English language development through socially mediated learning experiences in which immigrant and refugee youth could cultivate a sense of belonging in the community and investment in learning a new language. Implications for rethinking how to approach newcomers’ English language development, in and out of school, are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by Christina M . Ponzio