This ethnographic case study of a male Hmong refugee, Vue Lang, is situated against a backdrop that is characterized by a burgeoning immigrant population in the United States and a growing need to provide them with English language instruction. The Bourdieusian concepts of "capital", "habitus", and "field" (Bourdieu, 1991) are used to explicate…

Drawing on ethnographic research on Hmongs, the author illustrates how her assumptions about literacy have been challenged and presents a new view of literacy with emphasis shifted from cognitive consequences to social context: literacy as a means through which relationships are negotiated. Makes suggestions for creating…

Discusses the the experiences of teachers gathered in the Bay Area Writing Project's Summer Invitational Institute to write, reflect on the process, and give workshops. Describes the presentation of one Hmong student, and highlights the importance of recognizing the home school connection for immigrant students. (Author/VWL)

Demonstrates ways that a classroom teacher can get a distorted picture of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students and their resources and how viewing literacy in a social context illustrates the way relationships are negotiated. Suggestions are made for teachers to create ESL classrooms where the role of literacy in students' lives can be…

Articles include the following: "The Flowering of America: Linguistic Diversity in the United States" (R. Macias); "The American Linguistic Mosaic: Understanding Language Shift in the United States" (C. Veltman); "Bilingualism and Language Use Among Mexican Americans" (G. Valdes); "Puerto Ricans in the United…

A study investigated the studying and reading processes of limited-English-speaking Hmong university students, using think-aloud protocols, reading journals, and study skills portfolios. Think-alouds were conducted in four areas: reading a content-area textbook chapter; taking lecture notes; test studying strategies; and test-taking strategies.…