A Multiliteracies Classroom Ecology for Elementary Bilingual Language Learners

Abstract

AbstractIn here, I provide a description of a multiliteracies elementary classroom's ecology according to how an elementary bilingual teacher and bilingual language learners in her classroom interact and engage with traditional (linguistic) and alternative (multimodal) texts in language arts. This multiliteracies classroom ecology shows their dynamic language interactions through their biliteracy practices. I first outline some examples of biliteracy events and practices by describing traditional texts (written or oral) and the media (materials) in which the disciplinary knowledge is represented, and then show the biliteracy practices familiar in their bilingual classroom. Finally, I describe a multiliteracies approach to teaching and learning and the important reasons to include and implement this approach for the benefit of bilingual language learners.