Developing School-relevant Language and Literacy Skills through Dialogic Literary Gatherings

Garazi Lopez De Aguileta

doi:10.17583/ijep.2019.4028

Garazi Lopez De Aguileta

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2019.4028

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Abstract

Research in the field of educational linguistics has found that low levels of academic language development negatively affect children’s language, reading and writing skills and, therefore, academic achievements. This is more noticeable in students from low SES backgrounds, who traditionally have a lower exposure to academic language. Nevertheless, dialogic learning environments such as Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs), a worldwide educational practice where participants read and debate literary classics in an egalitarian dialogue, contribute to the appearance of school-relevant language and literacy skills. Although multiple studies on DLGs have shown their impact in different levels, including improving vocabulary and reading skills, the emergence of such skills has not been studied in depth yet. This exploratory study aims to analyze the emergence of academic language and literacy skills in 19 students between the ages of 11 and 13 studying in a school in Spain with over 90% immigrant students. Results show that the egalitarian dialogue in which DLGs are based favors the emergence of school-relevant language and literacy skills, such as judgements and arguments, referential links, or connectives.

Highlights

Research in the field of educational linguistics has found that low levels of academic language development negatively affect children’s language, reading and writing skills and, academic achievements
Design This study focuses on the analysis of the emergence of school-relevant language and literacy skills in Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) carried out in a School as Learning Community located in one of the poorest neighborhoods at the outskirts of Terrassa, a large municipality in Catalonia (Spain)
Observations of the DLGs show the emergence of the following school-relevant language and literacy skills: judgements and arguments, referential links, discourse structure and grammatical skills such as nominalization, connectives and derived words

Summary

Introduction

Research in the field of educational linguistics has found that low levels of academic language development negatively affect children’s language, reading and writing skills and, academic achievements. Regardless of their SES background, ethnicity, gender or age, need to be granted the same educational opportunities, and this includes high-quality interactions with teachers, peers, and academic and literary texts Dialogic learning environments such as Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs), in which egalitarian dialogue becomes the center, guarantee all children’s inherent right to education by providing them with high-quality dialogic spaces in which they read and debate some of the greatest literary human creations (Flecha, 2000). The richness of the literary texts and the egalitarian dialogue which underpins the gatherings provide them with equal opportunities for academic and personal success as reported by several articles (Soler, 2015) They are thought to contribute to children’s emergence of academic language and literacy skills, no study has explored in detail these outcomes yet. Lack of proficiency and understanding of school-relevant language and literacy skills make reading comprehension challenging for students, especially for understanding the academic language of school texts (Uccelli et al, 2015a)

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