The Use of Children's Literature in English-Chinese Bilingual Education in Western Canada

• Author / Creator

  Jin, Jing

• This study explored the use of children’s literature in English-Chinese bilingual education in the Canadian context. The purpose was to examine the types of children’s literature that are used in bilingual education, the roles that children’s literature plays in students’ bilingual and biliteracy development, and how teachers’ and parents’ experiences and perspectives might influence their use of children’s literature. Underpinned by sociocultural perspectives on literacy, this study employed the continua model of biliteracy, the literacy expertise framework, and the efferent-aesthetic continuum as conceptual frameworks. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this qualitative case study used remote ways to collect data, specifically online interviews with three teachers and three parents, and children’s book lists provided by the participants. Findings revealed that levelled readings and classic works were predominant in the Chinese children’s literature being used in the programs, and that these works tended to be decontextualized and depoliticized, while the English children’s literature selected was more often used for aesthetic and pleasure reading. Moreover, Chinese children’s literature that had been translated into English and children’s books from Canada (as opposed to the US and other English-dominant countries) were lacking. Children’s literature plays a variety of important roles in bilingual education, including relationship founder, enhancer, and bond; language and literacy learning resources and bridge; and cultural agent. This study contributes to scholarship and pedagogy in terms of providing a clearer vision for teachers and parents to reconsider their use of children’s literature and reconceptualize bilingual education through a translanguaging lens. It promotes the use of more diverse and contemporary children’s literature in bilingual education to foster students’ language and cultural awareness in a more collaborative and critical way.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • English-Chinese bilingual education
  • Children's literature
  • Bilingual and biliteracy development
  • Teachers' and parents' perspective
  • Interpretive inquiry

• Graduation date

  Spring 2023

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-decq-q458

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.