4/28/2015 Download Document file:///Users/Education/Downloads/Download%20Document.html 1/10 Title: Researching children's linguistic repertoires in globalized classrooms Author(s): Margaret Somerville and Jacqueline Dwarte Source: Knowledge Cultures. 2.4 (July 2014): p133. Document Type: Report Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Addleton Academic Publishers http://www.addletonacademicpublishers.com/knowledge-cultures Abstract: This paper considers new spatial methodologies for researching children's linguistic repertoires in complex multicultural classrooms shaped by increasing global mobilities. It is based on the analysis of a small data set from a larger study that involved 5 classes in 2 primary schools and 2 high schools in which students and teachers were trained as ethnographers of their own language practices and experiences. The study site, Western Sydney, Australia displays many of the demographic characteristics of super-diversity produced within conditions of contemporary globalization, sites which require the development of innovative methodologies to address the needs of an increasingly diverse school population. The body of data composed of 29 maps of students' linguistic practice is analysed spatially. The children's language maps were found to generate new spatial understandings of their extensive repertoires of linguistic practice. They offer insights into how the children themselves experience and navigate the relationship between in-school and out-of-school language practices that can be used to enhance learning for all children in contemporary globalized classrooms. Keywords: super-diversity; global mobilities; spatial methodologies; complex multilingual classrooms; children's linguistic repertories Full Text: 1. Introduction In describing super-diversity and its implications, Stephen Vertovec (2007) argues for methodological innovation if we are to move beyond frameworks derived from earlier, significantly different, social formations. He characterizes the super-diversity of London and other key cities in the UK as 'a dynamic interplay of variables among an increased number of new, small and scattered, multiple-origin, transnationally connected, socio-economically differentiated and legally stratified immigrants' (Vertovec, 2007, p. 1024). His recommendations are for spatial methodologies, including an anthropology of the local micro-politics of everyday interaction in multi-sited and multi-group ethnographic studies. In this paper we explore methodological innovation in a research study in Western Sydney, a similar site of superdiversity. Western Sydney is characterized by successive waves of migration from the earliest Anglo-Celtic settlers who displaced the people of the Cadigal nation as the original inhabitants of the land, to the most recent immigrants from war torn Sudan, Somalia and Bangladesh. Western Sydney is today the destination of choice for incoming migrants and refugees to Australia with 35% of the total population of Western Sydney coming from more than 170 countries, and speaking over 100 different languages. Australian teachers increasingly deal with the complex multi-cultural and multi-lingual classrooms produced under these contemporary conditions of global mobilities. These classrooms include culturally and linguistically diverse students from migrant, refugee, Aboriginal and Anglo-Celtic backgrounds. NAPLAN results from 2008 and 2009 demonstrate that students from Language Backgrounds Other Than English (LBOTE) are falling behind students from English speaking backgrounds (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). Many students from refugee backgrounds specifically, have low levels of English literacy, limited or no literacy in their first language, and are experiencing ongoing effects of trauma and health problems (MDA, 2011, p. 8). Aboriginal students in multicultural classrooms experience cultural and linguistic mismatches between home and school to the extent that learning success is severely impacted (Rennie, 2010; Somerville, 2013). Many Aboriginal adolescent students, in particular, have very low levels of literacy as they enter high school. This means that their learning experience in most secondary subjects can be one of incomprehension, lack of achievement and failure which further undermines their self-esteem and reinforces their attitude that secondary education is irrelevant to their needs and interests (DET, 2004, pp. 111-112). Conversely, some migrant groups are fast out-competing native English speaking students because of high achieving middle class parents with high aspirations for their children (Somerville et al., 2013). Research into children's educational outcomes typically separates these categories of migrant, refugee, Aboriginal and low SES children, while this may be helpful in ensuring resources and programs are targeted to those most in need, teachers in these globalised classrooms are working to meet the learning needs of all of these children simultaneously. The research presented here is drawn from a research project entitled, 'Reconceputalising English learners' language and literacy skills, practices and experiences'. The project involved 5 classes in 2 primary schools and 2 high schools in which students and teachers were trained as ethnographers of their own language practices and experiences. The research combined a multi-phased ethnography with participatory research to design new pedagogical processes. Five classes within four Australian public schools participated in this study. Participants included five classroom teachers