Literacy from a Different Perspective: Listening to the Voices of Adolescents from a Mulitcultural Context

Abstract

The objective of this study was to listen to the perceptions of the experiences of adolescents from a multicultural background as those experiences related to their literacy learning acquisition. Each of the adolescent learners were enrolled in the English for Speakers of Other Languages program in one of the middle schools in the state of Virginia. The experiences, whether positive or negative, would inevitably shape the literacy learning of these multicultural learners as they interacted with family members, with members of the community, and in the academic setting at school.Open ended interview questions were used to gather data for this qualitative, ethnographic research study. This type forum allowed for an open dialogue between the researcher and the adolescent learners. As the researcher, I examined the data to determine how the learners' perceived experiences impacted their literacy learning.This study seeks to contribute to the knowledge base on adolescent literacy. The findings can be used by policy makers and educators who are dedicated to improving the quality of the educational lives of our multicultural learners. It is possible that the findings of this study could be used to inform guidelines for establishing future policies, practices, and strategies implemented in the English for Speakers of Other Languages program in the public schools.