Reading in the Secondary World Language Classroom: How High School Students Enact Their Emerging Literacy with Authentic Text

Abstract

This qualitative case study of a high school world language (WL) classroom with flexible language boundaries (Cummins, 2012; Creese & Blackledge, 2010; Garcia & Li Wei, 2014; Turnbull & Daily-O’Cain, 2009) examines how proficient L1 readers constructed meaning from authentic L2 text as emerging bilinguals. Grounded in sociocognitive transactional literacy theory (Gee, 2013, 2014; Rosenblatt, 2013; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978) combined with a transdisciplinarity perspective (Douglas Fir Group, 2016), I drew from Ruddell and Unrau’s (2013) model of reading to unpeel the complicated and recursive interplay among readers, the teacher, and WL classroom context. The findings include: (1) WL readers actively build lexicon while reading, using a variety of metacognitive strategies to locate and interpret key words in the text; (2) they continue to build enhanced layers of comprehension with each re-engagement with the text; (3) they depend on the classroom community for cognitive and affective support; (4) and while they engage all their L1 literacy skills, additional strategies are needed for L2 meaning construction. I discuss practice implications for building lexicon with authentic literature, using collaboration as cognitive and affective support for learners, and reengaging with the text in multiple modes. Policy and research implications across the findings include consideration of target language only policy, disciplinary literacy in WL, and the Seal of Biliteracy.