1st Edition

Developing Advanced Literacy in First and Second Languages Meaning With Power

Edited By Mary J. Schleppegrell, M. Cecilia Colombi Copyright 2002
    286 Pages
    by Routledge

    284 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book addresses the linguistic challenges faced by diverse populations of students at the secondary and post-secondary levels as they engage in academic tasks requiring advanced levels of reading and writing. Learning to use language in ways that meet academic expectations is a challenge for students who have had little exposure and opportunity to use such language outside of school. Although much is known about emergent literacy in the early years of schooling, much less has been written about the development of advanced literacy as students move into secondary education and beyond. Developing Advanced Literacy in First and Second Languages: Meaning With Power:
    *brings together work on first and second language acquisition and emphasizes the importance of developing advanced literacy in the first language, such as Spanish for bilingual students, as well as English;
    *spans a range of theoretical orientations and analytic approaches, drawing on work in systemic functional linguistics, genre theory, and sociocultural perspectives;
    *addresses the content areas of science, history, and language arts;
    *provides specific information about genres and grammatical features in these content areas; and
    *presents suggestions for teacher education.

    What unites the contributors to this volume is their shared commitment to a view of literacy that emphasizes both the social contexts and the linguistic challenges. The chapters collected in this volume contribute in important ways to research and pedagogy on advanced literacy development for the multilingual and multicultural students in today's classrooms. This book is particularly useful for researchers and students in language and education, applied linguistics, and others concerned with issues and challenges of advanced literacy development in first and second languages.

    Contents: M.J. Schleppegrell, M.C. Colombi, Preface. M.C. Colombi, M.J. Schleppegrell, Theory and Practice in the Development of Advanced Literacy. J.L. Lemke, Multimedia Semiotics: Genres for Science Education and Scientific Literacy. F. Christie, The Development of Abstraction in Adolescence in Subject English. M.C. Colombi, Academic Language Development in Latino Students' Writing in Spanish. J.R. Martin, Writing History: Construing Time and Value in Discourses of the Past. M.J. Schleppegrell, Challenges of the Science Register for ESL Students: Errors and Meaning-Making. M. Celce-Murcia, On the Use of Selected Grammatical Features in Academic Writing. J.P. Gee, Literacies, Identities, and Discourses. J. Baugh, African American Language and Literacy. V. Ramanathan, Enhancing the Critical Edge of (L2) Teacher-Education: Some Issues in Advanced Literacy. R. Scarcella, Some Key Factors Affecting English Learners' Development of Advanced Literacy. B.J. Merino, L. Hammond, Writing to Learn: Science in the Upper-Elementary Bilingual Classroom. O. García, Writing Backwards Across Languages: The Inexpert English/Spanish Biliteracy of Uncertified Bilingual Teachers.

    Biography

    Mary J. Schleppegrell, M. Cecilia Colombi

    "The editors identify their audience as 'researchers, teachers, and students' (p.vii). Anyone working on teacher training and literacy research can benefit from the multiple aspects presented in this book. Advanced literacy for all may be a utopian goal, but those working in institutions of higher learning should at least be aware of the challenges on the way, as well as the remedies available to their students on the journey."
    Studies in Second Language Acquisition