Dis/entangling the Glocalization of ESL Group Bible Study: An Ethnographic Case Study of Adult ESL Group Bible Study on a U.S. Secular University Campus
Open Access
- Author:
- Bretz, Isaac Jason
- Graduate Program:
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 29, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Suresh Canagarajah, Outside Unit & Field Member
Joseph Valente, Major Field Member
Elizabeth Smolcic, Major Field Member
Gail Boldt, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Kimberly Anne Powell, Program Head/Chair
Charles Garoian, Special Member - Keywords:
- Bible Study
ESL
Assemblage
Deleuze
Translanguaging
Bible study
Adult ESL - Abstract:
- On many secular college and university campuses and in surrounding communities, Christian organizations offer international students, scholars and spouses free group study of Bible stories as well as meals and other social activities. On one hand, Bible-based content is interesting and compelling for some adult language learners and has long been used in small group learning situations in church-based ESL/EFL and religious language school programs (Johnston, 2017; Suen, 2017; Chao & Mantero, 2014; Chao, 2013). Moreover, Christian groups are a resource of Americans who speak English slowly and carefully, who patiently and humbly explain new vocabulary and concepts, and who include internationals into local families and Christian sub-cultures. On the other hand, many Christian groups at work on campuses are part of conservative American evangelical Christian organizations intent on missionizing atheist and non-Christians at a time when they are isolated from friends and family, and on reproducing their anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ politics throughout the world. This study accounted for “glocalization” processes that impact the subjectivities of local Bible study leaders and international students and scholars. It was also a study of religious content and language teaching and learning (Han, 2018). The research was a case study in which Bible study groups intended for international English language learners on and around a secular university campus were studied using an ethnographic research approach. The research techniques were participant observations of Bible study groups, semi-structured interviews of four Bible study leaders and two Bible study attendees, and analysis of documents. Data was interpreted through assemblage theory, which is a Deleuzeo-Guattarian informed concept for analyzing purposeful and intentional arrangements (Deleuze & Guattari, 1983; Deleuze & Guattari, 1987; Buchanan, 2013a; Buchanan, 2013b; Buchanan, 2015; Buchanan, 2017) and spatial repertoires, which is an expansion of the concept of translanguaging (Canagarajah, 2018a; 2018b). The study investigated the way actions, bodies, and things were arranged as content, language was used to justify this content, Bible study leaders and attendees made sense (or not) of this content and language, and spatial repertoires were employed to make communication and meaning possible. I concluded that these groups, which were made up of Bible study leaders with some language teaching skill and internationals with some interest in improving their conversational English and perhaps learning about the Bible, persist on campuses for a number of reasons. First, the experiences create the potential for personal change, which means different things for those involved. Second, the experiences create Christian affect and Christian knowledge, which benefit some participants. Third, the experiences are entangled with conditions of middle-to-upper class privilege and a glocalized conservative American evangelical agenda. I make recommendations for secular left study groups for language learners as alternatives to conservative Christian Bible study groups.