Online Lesson 1: Case Studies

For this lesson, please read the following articles. As you can see they are articles that I have written and some with other colleagues. Please take note of how these "stories" relate to some of the communicative insights above and also relate to second language acquisition.


This article provides vignettes on classroom behaviors that I have experienced when I taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District, in inner city East Los Angeles.You should have already read this article for an earlier lesson.

Carrasco, R.L. "Ethnographic Issues and Insights in Multicultural Classrooms. Reforming Schools for a Multicultural America. D. Jones (Ed.). Indiana: Ball State University, 1994, pp. 59-67.

This article describes two language arts lessons in a bilingual classroom in Chicago. Many of my colleagues who have read this paper refer to it as the "Mocos" paper. In Spanish, "mocos" means mucus or "snots!" Some of the Spanish-speaking children described in these lessons have a lively discussion over "Ernesto's" smearing of "snots" on the lesson table while the non-Spanish-speaking teacher is trying to keep the lesson going. This case study demonstrates what bilingual/LEP children do when they know that the teacher does not speak their native language. Please SKIM this article given that it is very lengthy.

Carrasco, R. L., C. Acosta, & S. De La Torre-Spencer. Language Use, Lesson Engagement, and Participation Structures: A Microethnographic Analysis of Two language Arts Lessons in a Bilingual First-Grade Classroom. In Cross Cultural Literacy: Ethnographies of Communication in Multiethnic Classrooms. M. Saravia-Shore and S. Arvizu, eds. New York: Garland Publishing, 1992, pp. 391-444.

"Lupita" was a recent immigrant to the United States. Her parents were migrant farm workers. Lupita was fulfilling her teacher's self-fulfilling prophecy when this research was performed late in the school year. She was going to re-take this Kindergarten class the following year due to her teacher's initial assessment of her performance. This study tested Dell Hyme's theoretical research model, "ethnographic monitoring," that provided this teacher with an extra "eye" in her classroom, and that "expanded her awareness of student performance."

Carrasco, R. L. Expanded Awareness of Student Performance: A case study in ethnographic monitoring in a bilingual classroom. In Culture and the Bilingual Classroom: Studies in Classroom Ethnography. Trueba, Guthrie, and An, Eds. Newbury House of Rowley, MA: September, 1981.

"Veronica" was a first grader in a culturally diverse classroom. She was included in a peer-tutoring lesson where she was the designated tutor. She received her information about the English lesson to be taught to her class-peer Alberto. Both tutor and tutee did not speak English; yet Veronica received her instructions about the English lesson in English and the teacher "knew" that she would not be effective in teaching Alberto since she did not understand the instructions in English. After you read this case study, think about what this may tell you regarding second language acquisition theory. Also, take note of how Veronica negotiates and maintains her new role as "teacher." I think that you will enjoy this article.

Carrasco, R. L., A. Vera, C. B. Cazden Aspects of Bilingual Students' Communicative Competencein the Classroom. In Latino Language and Communicative Behavior, Discourse Processes: Advances in Research and Theory. R. Duran, E., Vol. 6. Roy Freedle, Series Editor. Ablex Publishing Corp., Norwood, NJ: Summer, 1981.

When you finish these readings, there is a VCC activity.

Go back to Topic 3: Carrasco's Case Studies in BL/ESL Classroom