| This study describes English language learning in a rural elementary community school in Puerto Rico. The study makes use of qualitative research methodology and participant observation with an ethnographic tradition to examine (1) the approach that underlies the curriculum for the English program, (2) the instructional materials available to the teacher and the students, (3) the characteristics of the community in which the school is located, and (4) what the students are able to do in English in the English classroom.;The study reports that the curriculum for the English program is based on the Natural Approach, the Communicative Approach and the Whole Language Approach. Literature serves as a basis for both English language acquisition and reading instruction. The instructional materials, designed for pre-literacy elementary school students who have English as a first language, are also literature based. The main characteristics of the community in which the school is located are that it is close-knit and Spanish-speaking. For the students at the school, there is little or no English language support in either the English classroom or the wider community. In addition, the students do not enter the school with speaking and listening skills in English. Thus, English language learning in the English classroom is not as successful as it should be. Implications for future research and pedagogical implications are discussed. |
