English Language Learner Status In A Predominantly European-American School

Abstract

Using status characteristics theory, this study examined a sixth-grade Korean student’s experiences associated with English literacy learning while attending a predominantly European-American school in the United States. Of particular interest was the interaction between race, culture, and learning in a classroom where the mainstream teachers, students, and the English language learner experienced poor communication and unequal social relationships when addressing academic and literacy tasks. The study’s findings suggest that the teacher’s perceptions of and inexperience with culturally and racially different students contributed to the classroom social dynamics, thereby influencing the English language learner’s class interactions and participation in literacy activities. This study provides critical insight for educators regarding the importance of social acceptance and equal status in a teaching and learning relationship in the mainstream classroom with English language learners.