English proficiency, placement, policies, problems, and possibilities at the UIUC: Experiences of Puerto Rican graduate students from the island

Ortiz, Lisa

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/45094 Copy

Description

Title

English proficiency, placement, policies, problems, and possibilities at the UIUC: Experiences of Puerto Rican graduate students from the island

Author(s)

Ortiz, Lisa

Issue Date

2013-06

Keyword(s)

• UIUC
• Language Policies
• English
• ESL
• EPT
• Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rican

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which English Placement policies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign differ among domestic students, hence questioning the ways in which diversity plays out for self-identified Puerto Ricans from the island who are admitted to graduate programs. In an effort to understand how language requirements are enacted, and what this represents for students, this paper sought to (1) analyze institutional documentation pertaining to English proficiency and placement, (2) document narratives of how English language policies, policy makers, and policy followers influence students’ academic and personal encounters on campus, and (3) propose reconsiderations regarding policies that affect graduate admission for Puerto Ricans from the U.S. Territory. By employing a qualitative approach that followed Kezar's (2011) three-pronged, post-structural analysis of revelation, desconstruction, and reconstruction, I found nuances in policies and differences language requirements for participants at the UIUC. In essence, this paper is a contribution to embrace linguistic diversity, to assure that English language policies for Puerto Ricans are fair and one that hopes to contribute not only to the idea of an Inclusive Illinois, but to transform that idea into action.

Series/Report Name or Number

EOL 574, Lorenzo Baber, Instructor, Spring 2013

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/45094

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