A Collaborative Critical Literacy Praxis

DISCOURSE ITINERARIES IN AN EAP CLASSROOM: A COLLABORATIVE CRITICAL LITERACY PRAXIS by Christian Wai Chun A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Christian W. Chun (2010) DISCOURSE ITINERARIES IN AN EAP CLASSROOM: A COLLABORATIVE CRITICAL LITERACY PRAXIS Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Christian Wai Chun Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning University of Toronto 2010 Abstract This classroom ethnography documents the developing critical literacy pedagogy of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor over the course of several terms. My research, which involved extensive collaboration with the EAP instructor, explores how specific classroom practices and discourses are enacted and mediated through dialogic intertextualities, material objects, and social actions that frame representations about language, literacy, and what Lefebvre (1988) called “le quotidien” – the everyday, and how these affect the students’ meaning-making potential in specific ways. It also traces the contours (and detours) of the instructor’s classroom practices after the researcher’s mediation in the form of collaborative inquiries on functional grammar and critical literacy, and the effects of these classroom practices on making meaning in her EAP classes. I consider several issues from an integrated theory and practice perspective. Because of an urgent need to understand the students’ practices and epistemologies as they engage in ever newer forms of multimodal text productions, I contend that EAP classroom practices must be reshaped to facilitate more (inter)active engagements of the multimodal texts that saturate students’ lives, both inside the class and outside. Related to this, I highlight in my classroom data what actually counts as the ‘critical’ or the ‘uncritical’ in this EAP classroom and argue why these distinctions matter. Lastly, I suggest ways in which the role of a critical multiliteracies education in EAP can ii meet the pragmatic needs of both students and teachers. My research contributes to a much- needed dialogue between critically oriented researchers and practitioners in the field of TESOL/Applied Linguistics by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The lessons learned from this collaborative classroom praxis point to concrete ways to help EAP teachers and students utilize their meaning-making potential. This involves equipping them with an expanded social semiotic tool-kit that can enable them to not only meet their immediate academic needs, but also help create a more active and possibly transformative role in the social constructions of discourse, language, and society. This doctoral dissertation has implications for those who are involved in EAP teaching and research, curriculum planning, teacher training, and student needs assessment. iii Acknowledgments There were the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears in the process of writing this dissertation: the requisite paper cuts from photocopying several book chapters, perspiration from my rapid walks to and from the library carrel even during the wintry months of Toronto, and yes, a few tears shed not from the agony of writing, but from the elegiac and loving memories of the two aunts to whom I dedicate this dissertation. I would first like to thank my participants, which include the EAP program where I collected the data, the students who tolerated my ongoing presence in their classroom and agreed to be interviewed by me, and of course, the instructor who gave so willingly and generously her time, effort, energy, patience, and goodwill in participating in this research. She showed admirable courage in having an initially unknown researcher observe her classes for close to one year, displayed resilient confidence in opening up her teaching practices to questioning and change, and demonstrated incredible forbearance in accepting my requests for one meeting after another. I cannot thank you enough for this remarkable experience and for the privilege of being able to share in your teaching journey. Displayed on your screen is a product of mental and physical labor that has been made possible by the invaluable contributions from the following people: I could not have asked for a better dissertation supervisor; indeed, this work was only made possible with the incredible support from my supervisor, Normand Labrie. His belief in my potential and ability made my doctoral student career that much easier, and his careful teaching of rigorous integrations of theory and methodology benefited this dissertation immensely. In an example of Bakhtinian forces at work, my successful research grant proposals contained at least half of his words and ideas that populated my own accentuated intentions and articulations. I also iv deeply appreciate his spending many hours of his time to school me in the countless ways of becoming an academic scholar and professional. I enjoyed all of our meetings, and I thank you here for all your help, both personally and professionally. You have set an exemplary model for me to follow in my future academic career. I am also deeply indebted to Jim Cummins, whose teaching of and introduction to many of the ideas and insights that I discuss in this thesis formed a major part of my education at OISE. His comments and advice, which he shared most willingly, aided me in my publishing articles, my research, and my thinking in significant ways. Jim, I am honored and privileged to have been your student, and to be part of the long illustrious tradition of the many critical scholars you have trained and taught at OISE, and who are cited frequently in this work. One of the best things I have ever done during my time as a doctoral student was to attend an academic conference held in Hawaii. There, thousands of miles away from Toronto, I met Brian Morgan, who had traveled from the same city. His work has been incredibly influential to me because of his lived integration of theory and teaching practice, a model to which this dissertation aspires, and one that I hope has done justice. His extensive and insightful feedback on an earlier work has greatly shaped my thinking through many of the issues presented here, and continues to influence and resonate in my research. I would like to thank my internal examiner, Eunice Jang. I had the privilege of taking her class on methodology, which helped me to seriously interrogate its invested uses and roles. I also had the immensely enjoyable experience of working with her on several research projects, co- presenting with her at a conference, and co-authoring an article that will be published someday. Thank you, Eunice, for inviting me to partake in these endeavors, and for your invaluable advice and encouragement when I needed it throughout these past 4 years. v It is always gratifying when you meet someone whose work you have admired a great deal is gracious and welcoming in person; it is doubly so when that person becomes not only an important mentor but also a trusted friend and colleague as well. In my case, it was a privilege meeting Sarah Benesch at the same conference where I met Brian. Her work on critical EAP has been my guide in times of darkness and despair in my own EAP classroom, and a continuing source of important inspiration and ideas for my research. My collaborative work with the participating instructor could not have taken the shape it did without her ideas, advice, and encouragement. Sarah, I am honored to have you as my external examiner, and I can only hope that this thesis is but a small contribution to your groundbreaking research and work in critical EAP. I thank you for your mentorship, editorial guidance and help in my getting published, your support, and your friendship. And yes, it was this very same conference where I also met two other scholars who have since become colleagues and friends: Stephanie Vandrick and Suhanthie Motha. Stephanie, I have enjoyed our conversations about EAP teaching and learning, life, and literature, both in person and via email. I remember when I first discovered your work and realized it was a critical key in unlocking many of the issues I had grappled with. Su, thank you for your advice, feedback, and encouragement in all matters personal and professional, and in particular, on earlier drafts of various chapters. Another scholar whose work has been immensely influential, and who was also gracious and kind upon my meeting him is Allan Luke. Thank you for reading my dissertation, and I deeply appreciate your enthusiastic praise, warm encouragement, and kind support. I would also like to thank Merrill Swain, with whom I shared many conversations on language learning, academia, the applied linguistics field, and life. It is incredible I was able to vi have the opportunity to learn from and share stories with one of the preeminent scholars in our field on such a personal level. Your warm hospitality, and care and concern are deeply appreciated, and our talks remain one of my most treasured experiences at OISE. In matters professional, I want to acknowledge Bessie Karras-Lazaris, to whom I will always be indebted in ways I cannot express in words. Thank you Bessie for all that you have done for me. I loved working with you. You are the best work supervisor I’ve ever had, and any ESL instructor could hope to have. I also thank Antony J. Kunnan, my professor at California State University, Los Angeles, who gave me a chance to first get published, and who provided important early mentorship. I was extremely fortunate in having several close friends and colleagues who made an important difference in my time at OISE. First, I thank Julie Byrd Clark, who helped me in countless ways on having a successful Ph.D.

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