| The purpose of this study was to understand the nested contexts of language use in a Korean English two-way immersion classroom. Using ethnographic, interpretive methods of inquiry, I sought to identify and examine the contexts created by institutional and societal forces that overtly and covertly affect the teaching and learning of the non-English language, Korean.;This study was based on observations of Korean children in the Korean English two-way immersion program. The children were learning English at a rapid speed, yet becoming more and more hesitant to use Korean.;The dominance of English in this bilingual classroom was nested in the context of (1) the parents' perspectives on bilingualism and bilingual education, (2) the context of policy, (3) definitions of literacy planned and enacted, and (4) the enactment of power through language choice. Findings revealed that among other things, the children's choice of language was channeled by their perceptions of possibilities to enact power by speaking in either Korean or English. On most occasions, English provided opportunities to enact the effects of power because English was the language that they---the Korean and the non-Korean children---could all communicate in, the language that was valued in the larger school, and the language that the educational system valued more in comparison to Korean. However, when children saw opportunities for the enactment of power through the use of Korean, all children, regardless of their proficiency in the language, made efforts to speak in Korean.;Findings from this study have implications for both policy makers and practitioners. First, the educational community should recognize that educational policy is not intended to be implemented, but rather enacted through the process of active interpretation and negotiation. This process should be based on the needs of the students as well as the community. Thus, policies should be recognized as "guidelines" for teachers.;Secondly, notions of power and subjectivity are complicated in classrooms that employ the use of two languages and thus we need to concentrate on the dynamics and dimensions of language use from the children's perspectives. Doing so will provide insight into the ways in which children view the purposes of the two languages as well as the principles underlying the dynamics of language use among the children. |
