English learners’ appropriation of English language policy at a U.S. university
Abstract
Employing an ethnographic design, this study analyzes three undergraduate English learners’ (ELs) appropriation of language policy at a U.S. university. In this study, ELs refers to bi/multilingual students with U.S. K-12 schooling who do not meet their university’s language proficiency requirements, and who are subsequently classified as ELs and non-citizens by their university. Policy appropriation informed how ELs perceived themselves and how they repositioned themselves in relation to the policy. Their self-perception informed them of the types of capital they needed to achieve their goals, thereby largely shaping their appropriation of EL policy. This study draws attention to the ways bi/multilinguals appropriate language policy, navigate their immigrant identities, and seek to acquire capital in their efforts to succeed at a university. It also informs what it means to be a citizen of the United States and what role language policy plays in citizenship in higher education settings.
Publication Title
International Multilingual Research Journal
Recommended Citation
Fuentes, R. (2020). English learners’ appropriation of English language policy at a U.S. university. International Multilingual Research Journal, 14 (3), 233-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2019.1684422
