Resumen de Negotiating Access to Learning Through Resistance to Classroom Practice.
Elizabeth R. Miller, Jane Zuengler
In line with situated learning perspectives, this article explores the notion of learners' access to participation in social practices. While agreeing with the premise that access to participation in communities of practice is foundational for learning, we problematize simplistic notions of access by investigating how it is sometimes sought after, appropriated, controlled, and resisted among English language learners in a high school sheltered civics class. In closely analyzing an extended interaction from this class, we found that a student's lack of English proficiency, rather than enhanced proficiency, led to her gaining central participation in a classroom practice. However, the access she gained did not result in meaningful or empowering participation for her. We also found that resistance to particular modes of participation can lead to more central participation for learners, but the desirability of that access depends on the linguistic capital one can claim in particular practices. Finally, we found that the inclusion of peripheral/marginal members is often constitutive of others' ability to negotiate linguistic capital for themselves in classroom practices. We believe these aspects of access and participation implicate a larger 'access paradox' (Janks, 2004) that second language researchers must acknowledge in seeking to understand learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
