Table Of ContentDISCOURSE ITINERARIES IN AN EAP CLASSROOM:
A COLLABORATIVE CRITICAL LITERACY PRAXIS
by
Christian Wai Chun
A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto
© Copyright by Christian W. Chun (2010)
DISCOURSE ITINERARIES IN AN EAP CLASSROOM:
A COLLABORATIVE CRITICAL LITERACY PRAXIS
Doctor of Philosophy, 2010
Christian Wai Chun
Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
University of Toronto
2010
Abstract
This classroom ethnography documents the developing critical literacy pedagogy of an English
for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor over the course of several terms. My research, which
involved extensive collaboration with the EAP instructor, explores how specific classroom
practices and discourses are enacted and mediated through dialogic intertextualities, material
objects, and social actions that frame representations about language, literacy, and what Lefebvre
(1988) called “le quotidien” – the everyday, and how these affect the students’ meaning-making
potential in specific ways. It also traces the contours (and detours) of the instructor’s classroom
practices after the researcher’s mediation in the form of collaborative inquiries on functional
grammar and critical literacy, and the effects of these classroom practices on making meaning in
her EAP classes.
I consider several issues from an integrated theory and practice perspective. Because of an urgent
need to understand the students’ practices and epistemologies as they engage in ever newer
forms of multimodal text productions, I contend that EAP classroom practices must be reshaped
to facilitate more (inter)active engagements of the multimodal texts that saturate students’ lives,
both inside the class and outside. Related to this, I highlight in my classroom data what actually
counts as the ‘critical’ or the ‘uncritical’ in this EAP classroom and argue why these distinctions
matter. Lastly, I suggest ways in which the role of a critical multiliteracies education in EAP can
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meet the pragmatic needs of both students and teachers. My research contributes to a much-
needed dialogue between critically oriented researchers and practitioners in the field of
TESOL/Applied Linguistics by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The lessons
learned from this collaborative classroom praxis point to concrete ways to help EAP teachers and
students utilize their meaning-making potential. This involves equipping them with an expanded
social semiotic tool-kit that can enable them to not only meet their immediate academic needs,
but also help create a more active and possibly transformative role in the social constructions of
discourse, language, and society. This doctoral dissertation has implications for those who are
involved in EAP teaching and research, curriculum planning, teacher training, and student needs
assessment.
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Acknowledgments
There were the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears in the process of writing this
dissertation: the requisite paper cuts from photocopying several book chapters, perspiration from
my rapid walks to and from the library carrel even during the wintry months of Toronto, and yes,
a few tears shed not from the agony of writing, but from the elegiac and loving memories of the
two aunts to whom I dedicate this dissertation.
I would first like to thank my participants, which include the EAP program where I
collected the data, the students who tolerated my ongoing presence in their classroom and agreed
to be interviewed by me, and of course, the instructor who gave so willingly and generously her
time, effort, energy, patience, and goodwill in participating in this research. She showed
admirable courage in having an initially unknown researcher observe her classes for close to one
year, displayed resilient confidence in opening up her teaching practices to questioning and
change, and demonstrated incredible forbearance in accepting my requests for one meeting after
another. I cannot thank you enough for this remarkable experience and for the privilege of being
able to share in your teaching journey.
Displayed on your screen is a product of mental and physical labor that has been made
possible by the invaluable contributions from the following people:
I could not have asked for a better dissertation supervisor; indeed, this work was only
made possible with the incredible support from my supervisor, Normand Labrie. His belief in my
potential and ability made my doctoral student career that much easier, and his careful teaching
of rigorous integrations of theory and methodology benefited this dissertation immensely. In an
example of Bakhtinian forces at work, my successful research grant proposals contained at least
half of his words and ideas that populated my own accentuated intentions and articulations. I also
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deeply appreciate his spending many hours of his time to school me in the countless ways of
becoming an academic scholar and professional. I enjoyed all of our meetings, and I thank you
here for all your help, both personally and professionally. You have set an exemplary model for
me to follow in my future academic career.
I am also deeply indebted to Jim Cummins, whose teaching of and introduction to many
of the ideas and insights that I discuss in this thesis formed a major part of my education at
OISE. His comments and advice, which he shared most willingly, aided me in my publishing
articles, my research, and my thinking in significant ways. Jim, I am honored and privileged to
have been your student, and to be part of the long illustrious tradition of the many critical
scholars you have trained and taught at OISE, and who are cited frequently in this work.
One of the best things I have ever done during my time as a doctoral student was to
attend an academic conference held in Hawaii. There, thousands of miles away from Toronto, I
met Brian Morgan, who had traveled from the same city. His work has been incredibly
influential to me because of his lived integration of theory and teaching practice, a model to
which this dissertation aspires, and one that I hope has done justice. His extensive and insightful
feedback on an earlier work has greatly shaped my thinking through many of the issues
presented here, and continues to influence and resonate in my research.
I would like to thank my internal examiner, Eunice Jang. I had the privilege of taking her
class on methodology, which helped me to seriously interrogate its invested uses and roles. I also
had the immensely enjoyable experience of working with her on several research projects, co-
presenting with her at a conference, and co-authoring an article that will be published someday.
Thank you, Eunice, for inviting me to partake in these endeavors, and for your invaluable advice
and encouragement when I needed it throughout these past 4 years.
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It is always gratifying when you meet someone whose work you have admired a great
deal is gracious and welcoming in person; it is doubly so when that person becomes not only an
important mentor but also a trusted friend and colleague as well. In my case, it was a privilege
meeting Sarah Benesch at the same conference where I met Brian. Her work on critical EAP has
been my guide in times of darkness and despair in my own EAP classroom, and a continuing
source of important inspiration and ideas for my research. My collaborative work with the
participating instructor could not have taken the shape it did without her ideas, advice, and
encouragement. Sarah, I am honored to have you as my external examiner, and I can only hope
that this thesis is but a small contribution to your groundbreaking research and work in critical
EAP. I thank you for your mentorship, editorial guidance and help in my getting published, your
support, and your friendship.
And yes, it was this very same conference where I also met two other scholars who have
since become colleagues and friends: Stephanie Vandrick and Suhanthie Motha. Stephanie, I
have enjoyed our conversations about EAP teaching and learning, life, and literature, both in
person and via email. I remember when I first discovered your work and realized it was a critical
key in unlocking many of the issues I had grappled with. Su, thank you for your advice,
feedback, and encouragement in all matters personal and professional, and in particular, on
earlier drafts of various chapters.
Another scholar whose work has been immensely influential, and who was also gracious
and kind upon my meeting him is Allan Luke. Thank you for reading my dissertation, and I
deeply appreciate your enthusiastic praise, warm encouragement, and kind support.
I would also like to thank Merrill Swain, with whom I shared many conversations on
language learning, academia, the applied linguistics field, and life. It is incredible I was able to
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have the opportunity to learn from and share stories with one of the preeminent scholars in our
field on such a personal level. Your warm hospitality, and care and concern are deeply
appreciated, and our talks remain one of my most treasured experiences at OISE.
In matters professional, I want to acknowledge Bessie Karras-Lazaris, to whom I will
always be indebted in ways I cannot express in words. Thank you Bessie for all that you have
done for me. I loved working with you. You are the best work supervisor I’ve ever had, and any
ESL instructor could hope to have.
I also thank Antony J. Kunnan, my professor at California State University, Los Angeles,
who gave me a chance to first get published, and who provided important early mentorship.
I was extremely fortunate in having several close friends and colleagues who made an
important difference in my time at OISE. First, I thank Julie Byrd Clark, who helped me in
countless ways on having a successful Ph.D. career both at OISE and in our scholarly field. I also
thank Mario Lopez-Gopar, my esteemed colleague and good friend, with whom I shared ideas,
feedback, and many drafts (both in paper and liquid form). Lastly, I owe a great deal to Jennifer
Shade Wilson, who was always ready to lend an ear or read a manuscript of mine. You gave
unstinting support and understanding when I needed it most.
In addition, I was very lucky to have access to such incredibly supportive staff at OISE:
Michelle Pon, Lisa Rupchand, Christine Boyer, Danielle Smyth, Terry Louisy, Tony Gallina, and
Margaret Brennan. Thanks also go to Meryl Greene, for her help on formatting and APA style.
I also thank the Second Language Education faculty at OISE, particularly, Alister
Cumming, Nina Spada, and Julie Kerekes for their invaluable support and advice.
I express my gratitude to the Ontario Provincial Government for their awarding me the
Ontario Graduate Scholarship for three consecutive years as an international student. These
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research grants enabled the timely completion of this dissertation. I also wish to acknowledge the
University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies for the Travel Grant for Doctoral Research,
and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) for the Academic Excellence Award
Grants.
I thank McGraw-Hill Ryerson and the Boston Consulting Group for their permission in
allowing their material to be presented in this dissertation.
I would like to pay tribute to Toronto’s own native son, Glenn Gould, whose music,
particularly his 1981 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, brought many a sunny day to me
during the long cold winter months while I was writing. Thank you for your inspiring art; it made
this dissertation that much easier to write in the end.
A shout-out goes to my good friend, Paul Knobloch, who regularly sent me music CDs
that also served as the soundtrack to my writing these past four years, and who has always been
there for me in good and bad times.
My family provided support and encouragement over the past years while I have been in
graduate school. To my parents, my sister Lorraine and her husband Eddie, thank you for your
safe havens in times of need.
Finally, I thank my wife, Jessie, without whom it would have been impossible to
complete this degree in a timely manner. She was the one who urged me to go back to graduate
school and get my M.A. degree in TESOL, and then to pursue a doctorate. The countless hours
of work she did that should have been shared allowed me to concentrate on my own work. Her
sacrifices can never be repaid; the very least I can do is to gratefully acknowledge her
contributions here. In the words of someone we have seen many times, we did it...We did it!
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Dedication
With pride and love, I dedicate this dissertation to my two beloved aunts, my aunt Susan
H. Moy, my mom’s oldest sister, and my great-aunt, Mamie Moy, wife of my great-uncle Wood
Moy, paternal uncle to my mother. Aunt Susie, whom I called “I-Yee” since I was old enough to
talk, was the definitive New Yorker. She loved her cigarettes, her Johnny Walker Red, her New
York Yankees, and above all, her family, which included her nieces, nephews, cousins, and
siblings. To the family, and especially to me, she was our Athena, liberally dispensing street-
smart worldly advice and colorful expletives in the same sentence. She had my back in times of
trouble, and showered encouragement and support when the tides of fortune ran against me.
Wherever you are I-Yee, I hope you’re enjoying a smoke and your favorite blended Scotch
whisky, and saying, “Good job, Chris!” I hope I’ve made you proud.
Aunt Mamie, who along with my Uncle Woody, showed me countless acts of hospitality,
warmth, and love whenever I, and later with my wife, visited their home in San Francisco, a
short 5 hour drive up from Los Angeles. She treated us as if we were her own children, opening
her hearth and heart to our tired bodies, anxious souls, and wearied spirits. When UC Berkeley
accepted me into its Ph.D. program, she was thrilled at the prospect we would be moving to the
Bay Area, and was heartbroken when I chose the University of Toronto instead.
I-Yee and Aunt Mamie, you are never far from my mind and you always reside in my
heart. I miss you both so much. Please accept this dissertation as a humble ‘thank you’ for all
you have done and continue to do; I am proud to have such “woman warriors” as my role
models.
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Table of Contents
Abstract.....................................................................................................................................ii
Acknowledgments.....................................................................................................................iv
Dedication.................................................................................................................................ix
Chapter One: Introduction...........................................................................................................1
Research Directions for EAP...................................................................................................2
Issues and Objectives..............................................................................................................4
Research Questions.................................................................................................................6
Rationale.................................................................................................................................6
Contextualizing EAP.............................................................................................................11
An Institutional Context of EAP........................................................................................12
IEPs as a Neoliberal Nexus Site.........................................................................................14
Curriculum Issues in EAP.................................................................................................17
The Textual Cycle of EAP.................................................................................................23
Classroom Discourse and Identities...................................................................................24
Recent Trends in EAP.......................................................................................................27
Overview of This Dissertation...............................................................................................31
Chapter Two: Language and the Everyday................................................................................36
Interrogating the Critical.......................................................................................................36
Critiques of Everyday Life....................................................................................................41
Clearing the Field: What Is Ideology?...................................................................................45
The Bakhtin Circle: Language and Ideology..........................................................................50
Critical Theories Research.....................................................................................................56
Critical Pedagogy or Pedagogies?..........................................................................................58
Critical Literacy....................................................................................................................63
Critical EAP..........................................................................................................................66
Multiliteracies Pedagogy in EAP...........................................................................................68
Chapter Three: Methodology.....................................................................................................74
Introduction...........................................................................................................................74
Critical Analysis of Discourse: Language as Social Semiotic.................................................74
Intertextuality....................................................................................................................77
Multimodal Discourse Analysis.........................................................................................81
Mediated Discourse Analysis ............................................................................................83
Ethnographic-Sociolinguistic Analysis of Discourse..........................................................87
An EAP Collaborative Classroom Ethnography.....................................................................90
Collaborative Inquiries With the EAP Instructor....................................................................94
The University and Participants...........................................................................................101
Data Sources.......................................................................................................................103
Overview of Data Collection Sources..............................................................................104
Stages of Data Collection....................................................................................................105
Winter 2009 Term...........................................................................................................105
Spring 2009 Term............................................................................................................106
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