Scaffolding and inequitable participation in linguistically diverse book clubs

Abstract

The authors illustrate ways that diverse linguistic repertoires were constrained within a set of classroom book club discussions among sixth-grade students and their teachers in a public school setting. The study took place in a U.S. Mountain West middle school with a majority population of Latinx students, many of whom were emerging bilinguals (EBs). In these book clubs, 21 students and two teachers read one of four mystery novels. The groups comprised both native and nonnative English-speaking students and were grouped according to reading ability/level. Using discourse analysis strategies, the researchers analyzed the participants’ talk across the book club discussions. The authors found that although a primary purpose of a literature discussion group is to provide more equitable participatory opportunities for EBs, in this case, the linguistic and discursive practices of the teachers and the native English speakers did not fully honor EBs’ contributions. These practices led to EBs’ ultimate withdrawal from discussions. Therefore, the implications suggest a cautionary tale for educators working with EBs to critically analyze and identify ways in which generic methods for English as a second language and “good” teaching practices may position EBs as incapable. Moreover, the authors suggest that teachers should develop more critical linguistically and culturally responsive practices that acknowledge the linguistic repertoires of EBs and (re)position EBs as communicatively competent.