Translingual Socialization in the Disciplines: A Case Study of Mediation and Disposition Shaping the Academic Literacy Practices of International Graduate Students
Open Access
- Author:
- Rabbi, Shakil Sarforaz
- Graduate Program:
- English
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 23, 2017
- Committee Members:
- Dr. A Suresh Canagarajah, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Dr. A Suresh Canagarajah, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Dr. Cheryl Glenn, Committee Member
Dr. Xiaoye You, Committee Member
Dr. David Post, Outside Member - Keywords:
- academic literacy practices
translingualism
literacy mediations
writing across the curriculum
writing in the disciplines
writing centers
academic socialization
rhetoric and composition
writing studies - Abstract:
- Graduate student socialization is an important part of a university’s mission. Research on how writing shapes this process is needed. This study contributes to knowledge of academic literacy practices socializing students in their disciplines through a social practice perspective. Specifically I focus on aspects of the social in this study of academic literacies and international graduate student socialization by looking at literacy mediators and translingual dispositions. How are the academic genres and literacy practices of international graduate students being shaped by social elements in the socialization process? How are their literacy practices mediating and being mediated by interactions and mentorship in this process? How are students’ translingual dispositions to communication shaping their literacy practices? What, in fact, are students learning – e.g. strategies, outcomes, and genre knowledge – through these literacy practices? This dissertation answers these questions using a naturalistic ethnographic study of literacy mediators and translingual dispositions shaping the literacy practices of article writing, conferences presentations, and grant writing of two international graduate students. It demonstrates that academic writing competence is a function of a network of mediators and mentors, and therefore graduate students’ academic literacies ought to be recognized as “network activities.” It also highlights the affordances of a holistic socialization process that draws from the translingual dispositions students bring with them. I show that participation in non-academic activities empowers the international graduate students to negotiate between their own attitudes to literacies and disciplinary specialization. It simultaneously acculturates them to a broader US social context and elicits continued investment into socialization activities, developing both general and academic English literacy and language competencies. Consequently, I argue for explicitly incorporating out of classroom writing support into graduate education programs, and developing a graduate curriculum that encourages collaborative and functional approaches to academic communication.