Second language acquisition and school restructuring: Reconceptualizing classroom second language learning as an institutional phenomenon

The purpose of this study is to describe how sociolinguistic interactions within second language classrooms are shaped by the institutional contexts in which they are embedded. Specifically, using the tools of discourse analysis, this two-year study provides an analysis of the school experiences of “limited English proficient” students attending three different elementary schools engaged in the process of implementing structural changes. An analysis of the restructuring choices these schools made reveals a set of historically rooted, ideological stances regarding conceptions of learning, second language acquisition, and multilingualism. These ideological positions, enacted through both institutional and classroom practices, either supported or constrained the linguistic and academic development of focal students. Namely, two schools conceived of learning in highly individual terms as opposed to social terms. These schools also conceived of language as a set of discrete skills as opposed to a cognitive tool that acts in service of learning. In both of these contexts, the tasks assigned to second language learners were remedial, and the support second language learners received from teachers and peers was minimal. In contrast, the third school's restructuring initiative centered around social conceptions of cognitive and linguistic development and on the importance of valuing students' native language and culture. In this context, the expectations placed on second language learners and the multiple sources of support available to them were conducive to students' using texts in grade-appropriate, academic ways. In regard to multilingualism, however, all three schools enacted practices representative of a belief in the utility of English monolingualism. This belief was reflected in the lack of institutional supports for monolingual English-speaking students to learn a language other than English, despite the feasibility of such an initiative and an expressed interest on the part of many “English-only” students to learn a second language. The significance of this study is found in the way it bridges disciplinary boundaries between the sociology of schooling and applied linguistics. This combination of macro and micro perspectives allows researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to see simultaneously inside and outside of classrooms and to gain insights important for both building theory and improving practice.