An exploration of the relationship between English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learning, the information literacy of participants, and its impact on their everyday lives

Jessica Elmore 2nd June 2015

ContextLiteratureResearch questionsMethodsPilot study

All images credited at end of presentation

ESOL learners

Information literacy as practice

“Information literacy...empowers people in all walks of life to seek, evaluate, use and create information effectively to achieve their personal, social, occupational and educational goals. It is a basic human right in a digital world and promotes social inclusion of all nations” (Garner, 2005)

“Effective ESOL is critical to empowering adults to gain independence and control over their lives, to increasing social inclusion and cohesion and to the country’s skills agenda” (Grover, 2006)

Key literature

• Relationship between language learning and information literacy

• EFL and ESL (Johnston, Partridge, Hughes & Mitchell, 2014; Patterson, 2011)

• Shouldn't be seen as a deficit (Conteh-Morgan, 2003)

• Needs to be critical and situated (Hicks, 2013)

• Immigrant information experiences are diverse and complex (Caidi, Allard & Quirke, 2010)

• Association with information poverty and link to social exclusion (Caidi & Allard, 2005)

• Information sources and information grounds (Fisher, Durrance & Hinton,2004; Fisher, Marcoux, Miller, Sanchez & Ramirez Cunningham, 2004)

• Information literacy significant for settlement and integration(Aarnitaival, 2010; Lloyd, Kennan, Thompson & Qayum 2013; Kennan, Lloyd, Qayum & Thompson,2011)

•

Information literacy has received little attention from ESOL researchers and practitioners

ESOL classroom as information site and ESOL learners' information needs (Grover, 2006: Rosenberg,2004) ESOL and digital literacy (Dudeney, Barton & Potts, 2013)

Summary of literature

• Lack of research on information literacy of lower level language learners

• Lack of research on information literacy and UK ESOL classroom

• Opportunity to bring together research that identifies a relationship between information literacy and language learning with research that looks at information literacy of immigrant groups

My research questions

1. What is the relationship between the development of English language capabilities and information literacy?

2. How do learners interact with information at the start of their studies?

3. How do these interactions change during their studies?

4. What impact do the changes in participants' information literacy have on their everyday lives?

Methodology

Interpretive

Reflexive

Participatory

Methods

• Case study of three ESOL classes over one year

• Multi-method; interviews, focus groups, observations, visual methods, visits

• Constructivist grounded theory as method of data analysis

Pilot: One observation of an ESOL and Art workshop

Pilot: Two focus groups using picture elicitation

Findings

• Diverse information experiences of ESOL learners

• Complexity of ESOL classroom

• Importance of people

• Religion

• Keeping in touch with “home”

• Varied digital practices

Lessons learnt

• Identified language level of participants

• A focus group will teach me about that group

• Participatory research is difficult

• Need sustained relationships with participants

• Problematised analysis

• My role as a researcher

Looking forward: now starting initial interviews and recruitment of classes

References

Caidi, N., Allard, D., & Quirke, L. (2010). Information practices of immigrants.Annual review of information science and technology, 44(1), 491–531.Conteh-Morgan, M. E. (2001). Empowering ESL students: A new model forinformation literacy instruction. Research Strategies, 18(1), 29–38Dudeney, G., Hockly, N., & Pegrum, M. (2013). Digital literacies : researchand resources in language learning. Harlow, England: Pearson.Garner, S. D. (2005). High-level colloquium on information literacy and lifelong learning.Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt: IFLA/UNESCO.Grover, D. (2006). More than a language: NIACE Committee of Inquiry onEnglish for speakers of other languages. Leicester, United Kingdom: NIACE.Johnston, N., Partridge, H., Hughes, H., & Mitchell E. (2014). Understanding the information literacy experiences of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. Reference Services Review 42 (4)Lloyd, A., Kennan, M. A., Thompson, K. M., & Qayyum, A. (2013). Connecting with new information landscapes: information literacy practices of refugees. Journal of Documentation, 69(1), 121–144. Lloyd, A., Lipu, S., & Kennan, M. A. (2010). On becoming citizens: Examining social inclusion from an information perspective. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 41(1), 42–53. Patterson, D. J. (2011). Becoming Researchers: Community College ESL Students, Information Literacy, and the Library (Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Berkeley)Rosenberg, S. K. (2007). A critical history of ESOL in the UK, 1870-2006.Leicester, United Kingdom: NIACE.

Images

ESOL learners © NVCO London CC-BY https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncvophotos/8391136201/ Steps © Humphrey Bolton CC-BY-SA http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/490239Sticks Original image CC-BY-SABookshelf ©Caro_oe92 CC-Ohttp://pixabay.com/en/books-shelf-retro-black-and-white-635341/Notes Original image CC-BY-SAButterfly ©stux CC-OHenna CCO https://pixabay.com/en/henna-vines-swirl-artwork-181789/http://pixabay.com/en/butterfly-exotic-south-america-200280/Library © David Lalley CC-BY-SA http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1645570Pottery © Lori L Stalteri CC-BY https://www.flickr.com/photos/llstalteri/9352001964/Rain ©13delf2 CCO http://pixabay.com/en/drops-water-rain-drop-of-water-625195/