Diaspora Indigenous and Minority Education · 2017 · 12 citations · 28 references
EthnicityLiterary AnalysisMultilingualismLinguistic AnthropologyEducationLiteracy DevelopmentSystemic Functional LinguisticsLiterary StudiesCultural StudiesCultural IdentityChild LiteracyChildren's LiteratureFunctional Linguistic AnalysisCultural IntegrationEthnic StudiesLanguage StudiesLiteracy PracticeContemporary Picture BooksImmigrant ChildrenLanguage-based ApproachSociolinguisticsImaginative WritingLiteracy LearningDiaspora StudyIntercultural EducationCultureLiteracyImmigrant AcculturationSymbolic Literary Feature
This article investigates how immigrant children’s acculturation experiences are characterized through the symbolic literary feature of name in children’s literature and how the language of the text functions to communicate these messages. We draw on the theoretical frameworks of Critical Literacy (CL) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to inform our analysis, showcasing how the connection and interrelation of these theories maximizes the potential for meaning-making. Texts were examined to reveal dominant themes around acculturation communicated through the use of protagonists’ names and trends in the language used to construct young readers’ understandings. Findings indicate that the construct of a name is a key theme in the literature used to forge a cultural identity for immigrant children, generate cultural conflict, and stimulate others’ judgment.
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