Discourse Socialization of a Group of Korean IELP Students through the Use of Reading Strategies

Discourse Socialization of a Group of Korean IELP Students through the Use of Reading Strategies

  This paper explores the discourse socialization of a group of Korean Intensive English Language Program (IELP) students through the use of reading strategies by focusing on one type of classroom activity, mini-lessons of TOEFL readings. From a language socialization perspective, a six-month classroom ethnographic study explored how Korean students holding different beliefs about second language (L2) learning developed reading strategies, as a tool in the socialization process, through strategic interaction with peers and a teacher during mini-lessons. Data were collected mainly from classroom observation, interviews, tape-recordings, and survey. The findings showed that a group of Korean students were gradually socialized into developing appropriate reading strategies specific to them by communicating their expertise and difficulties, by strategically involving peers in their strategic evaluation processes, and by internalizing these strategies outside of class. However, ways of developing reading strategies differed widely across the students in the different ranges of beliefs. This study argues that acquiring academic discourse through socialization into reading strategies should be understood as a social process where L2 learners negotiate their expertise and difficulties on a bi-directional continuum of expert-novice interaction.