Running Head: CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 1

Cultural Inquiry Study: Participation in foreign language classroom

Madeline Albrittain

George Mason University

CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 2
Abstract

This study explored levels of participation among students in a Spanish 3 Honors class in

a all-boys Catholic, independent school in Washington, DC. The study began by examining the

levels of comfortability, via student questionnaire, among all students in the Spanish 3 Honors

class, considered a speaking intensive course. Students then discussed and gave suggestions as to

how they would feel more comfortable producing output in their L2. Half-way through the study,

students were given self-evaluations. Observations were conducted throughout by instructor and

other teachers were interviewed in the process. The findings of this study show that students had

become more verbally engaged and more willing to communicate in the target language when

engaged in small, familiar groupings, discussions related to culturally relevant and familiar

topics and given more time to develop output. The findings of this study also suggest reducing

foreign language anxiety will increase comfortability for students to discuss in the target

language.

School Setting

I teach Spanish at an independent, Catholic high school located in Washington DC. The

total school population is approximately 960 students, all boys. Eighty percent of the

student-body is Catholic. In terms of diversity, our school is predominantly Caucasian at 77%,

10% African-American and just over 6% Asian. The school culture is one of that focuses on high

academic performance as well as competitive athletic programs. It is also important to note that

our school is 1:1 BYOD and each student brings their own computer or tablet from home. I teach

Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 Honors level classes. This year, my average class size is twenty-two

students. In my Spanish 2 classes, learning accommodations are much more frequent and on
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average I have seven students will learning accommodations such as extended time and

preferential seating. In my Spanish 2 class, there is one freshman student who is a native Spanish

speaker but has never seen Spanish in a classroom context. For further context, Spanish 1

students had a hard time transitioning into my class because they were not held accountable in

Spanish I, many of whom admitted to “cheating” their way through. Therefore, I have made a

conscious effort to scaffold material and include daily review of Spanish 1 material. In my

Spanish 3 Honors classes, three students have Hispanic descent but are not native speakers and

two students have been previously educated in an immersion setting. The class is comprised on

mostly junior students, but there are four sophomores and one freshman. One student in the class

have documented learning accommodations, a sophomore whose parent recently submitted his

paperwork. One of the 3 Honors classes has 16 students, while the other has 22 students. Desks

are arranged in rows; however, desks are rearranged throughout the forty minute class periods

for partner and group work. There are also two standing desks at the back of the classroom for

students to use.

Academically, I think I know my students well. They are highly competitive and strive

for A’s in my honors three level class. Many of them will continue to AP Spanish because they

want to grow more proficient in the language and they want to add an additional AP to their

junior or senior year schedule. Many of my students face pressures from home to excel in school.

In my experience, when a student cheats on an assignment or does not do well on a quiz or test,

the student withholds that information from the parent(s). Socially, students are very engaged.

Most students are engaged in a sport or extracurricular activity, such as the dramatic association,

ONYX (Black student association), Model UN, or volunteering for the homeless shelter on
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campus. Many students attend athletic events such as football and basketball games. This is part

of the “brotherhood” that the boys describe as part of the experience of attending an all boys’

school. As recent events have revealed, the “brotherhood” is also a great challenge for many

students who do not fit the mold of a “typical” student at my school. Many students are afraid to

fail or go against the group, which in this case resulted in bringing to light a huge issue in our

school culture. Privilege is a word that comes to mind when I think of many of our students’

family backgrounds. In light of the recent situation, many parents sided with their sons, which

angered our faculty and school community even more. It appears that there are major differences

in backgrounds among families. Eighty percent of our families are Caucasian and in total, 29%

of our students receive some amount of need-based financial support. From what I’ve observed,

the minority students tend to hang out together, sit together in the cafeteria and work together

with partner work in the classroom. Many of my diverse students in the class maintain the same

level of participation in the class. Likewise, I have never noticed a trend in tardiness or late work

based on race or ethnicity.

Puzzlements

Throughout the year, I have come across many puzzlements related to my classroom

context as well as school culture. My students are very grade driven, as are many high school

students. One question, among faculty and myself, is Why are students so grade driven? What

are some aspects of the classroom that can change so that students are more focused on learning

and improving? Even as sophomores, they feel the pressure from parents to get good grades to

go to college and so on. In a recent conversation with Spanish 2 students, we discussed a

knowledge gap that still exists from Spanish 1 and is preventing many from making necessary
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connections in Spanish 2. Many students responded with answers that would improve their

grades but not necessarily address the knowledge gap that exists. What are the implications for

my classroom moving forward?

Another puzzlement I have is the level of participation and use of target language in my

class. In my Spanish 2 class, the target language is used about 50-75% of the time, depending on

the class structure and student with whom I am speaking. In my Spanish 3 classes, the class is

conducted entirely in the target language. Each quarter, I have students complete a Google Form

in English to review the quarter and give me feedback regarding assessments and classwork. In

both classes, I have students that are eager to participate in English and the target language. I

also have many students who are hesitant to participate at all. This is the puzzlement that I have

chosen to focus on for my cultural study. In my Spanish 3 Honors classes in particular, I have

increased my wait time, asked them what I can do to make them feel more comfortable.

Increasing wait time was actually advice from my critical friend in a previous EDUC class. With

a more lengthy wait time, I did notice more students participating. They are generally quiet

students but part of the pre-AP class is preparing them to speak! I have tried a few things and

from that, I have grown more puzzled and curious as to what else I can do to ensure each student

in the class is participating.

The puzzling situation about student verbal participation, which will be the focus of this

cultural inquiry, arose when I was trying everything to increase verbal participation in the class.

For example, I increased wait time, created graded speaking assignments and yet, long term

participation did not increase. Unless the assignment was punitive, that is, the student was

docked points for not speaking, student participation did not increase. For my cultural study, I
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have chose to focus on two specific students in Spanish 3 Honors, both sophomores in a junior

level class and I’ve taught for two school years. Both are very motivated students who face

academic pressures from home. The one student, we will call him Student N, is the only student

in the class with a documented case of a learning accommodation.

Cultural Question

The following cultural question is related to my observations about overall participation

in the class.

3.2 How might aspects of the school’s culture(s) be contributing to class participation?

My primary goal is to better understand students in terms of class participation and ways

in which school culture has influenced this puzzlement. Many colleagues in my school would

definitely argue that our current student population is extrinsically motivated, by grades and

parents, to earn high grades in classes. The culture is one of competitiveness and rigor. For

example, upon entering the cafeteria or commons space, one will hear how little sleep students

got or the grade they earned on “x” assignment. These are badges of honor worn at our school.

Yet, when examining participation, students seldom talk about it’s importance or hold it in as

high regard as, say, an outstanding essay grade. This deep culture that has been ingrained in our

school and its effect is something I want to explore.

Literature Review

After examining the puzzlements in the classroom and examining the background

knowledge of the classroom, it is time to actively engage in research and examine literature to

explore potential solutions. Throughout my research, I concentrated on finding different methods

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for participation in foreign language classrooms, other ways in which to engage L2 learners and

culturally responsive pedagogy practices in the foreign language classroom. Across multiple

references, three themes emerged. First, defining participation and its importance is crucial for

students and teachers so they have a mutual understanding of class expectations, particularly in

terms of oral participation in the L2. Second, examining the number of individual differences is

important and factors that inhibit or create additional obstacles to learning a second language.

One research article specifically focused on foreign language anxiety. Lastly, familiarity and

comfortability is important when composing lessons, particularly speaking activities. Creating a

community atmosphere where students feel comfortable to speak in the target language is an

important factor. It is essential to get to know your students and compose lessons that are

culturally relevant and include all students.

Willingness to Communicate

Among foreign language classrooms, improving the interpersonal communication has

developed as a core goal for many as it is one of the standards for the American Council on the

Teaching of Foreign Language. Yet, why, at times, are L2 learners so hesitant to speak in the

target language? Each student, upon entering the classroom, has different language goals,

individual characteristics, levels of L2 exposure (Bernales, 2016, p. 1; Bernales, 2016, p. 368). In

addition, speaking may not be a primary goal for the learner (Bernales, 2016, p. 1). Forms of

nonverbal communication are important for engagement in the FL classroom and still can be

considered forms of participation as they are engaging in the context (Ewald, 2008, p. 152).

Listening, rather than speaking, should be considered a valid form of participation in the

classroom (Ewald, 2008, p. 152; Bernales, 2016, p. 368). However, the ability to the create
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 8
output and verbalize oneself in the target language is a key concept in the L2 learning process

(Bernales, 2016, p. 1). Proficiency in L2 includes sociolinguistic factors one of which is

communicative competence. Strategic competence is one of the three main pillars of

communicative competence, that is the ability to cope with a situation navigate one’s lack of

proficiency (Geeslin & Long, 2014, p. 6). Has said learner developed the skills to compensate

when he has a breakdown in his ability to communicate? (Geeslin & Long, 2014, p. 5). Many

studies, as mentioned by Bernales (2016), have supported the use of learners’ output as evidence

of L2 learning (p. 368). In fact, it has “been found to lead to higher levels of communicative

competence and achievement” later on in developing one’s linguistic system (Bernales, 2016, p.

368). Among many researchers, willingness to communicate and motivation to learn a language

has been connected to classroom participation and oral L2 communication. Willingness to

communicate (WTC) is, as Bernales (2016) describes, “dynamic process that fluctuates due to a

combination of social, environmental and individual factors” (p. 10). Willingness to

communicate does not mean that actual L2 speech is produced; rather, the student has made a

decision to participate in class by raising his/her hand for example (Bernales, 2016, p. 10). WTC

acknowledges the value in oral L2 participation but also recognizes the value in silent

participation as there are a number of contributing variables to consider when a student does not

engage verbally (Bernales, 2016). With regard to pedagogical implications, educators should

continue to encourage oral participation while also considering other ways to employ and

encourage positive communicative competence. I need to revisit classroom participation and

with my students, define participation and identify student’s motivation to learn a second

language and use the motivation to create authentic learning opportunities. The literature has
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reinforced the importance of balance in creating opportunities for participation in the foreign

language classroom.

Individual Differences

Variables of individual differences also are important when considering a student’s

second language studies. There are traditional learning factors like aptitude and motivation;

however, there are also other factors such as language learning strategies, anxiety, self-esteem

and learner beliefs to name a few (​Dörnyei, 2005, p. 7-8). As Dörnyei and Ryan (2015) state,

“L2 learning is an emotionally loaded experience and any description of what makes a particular

learner unique needs to take this into account” (p. 10). What could be considered, at first glance,

as a student’s unwillingness to participate could be student’s anticipation to answer or a lack of

strategic competence or struggle to articulate thoughts (Bernales, 2016, p. 6; Geeslin & Long,

2014).

One specific individual difference that affects many L2 adolescents and adults in foreign

language anxiety (FLA). Research has shown that FLA negative effects on L2 learning are

significant as “FLA interferes with L2 speech in particular by inhibiting cognitive processes

required for speech production” (Côté & Gaffney, 2018, p. 1). In one study cited, 85% of study

participants reported experiencing some degree of speaking anxiety, most often in front of

classmates and native speakers (Côté & Gaffney, 2018, p. 2). While FLA can be positive and

contribute to increased effort, if FLA goes unaddressed it can have a strong negative effect on

second language acquisition (Côté & Gaffney, 2018, p. 2). This is one way in which the literature

addresses the cultural question (3.2) about school culture. Foreign language anxiety and pressure

to perform at a high academic level could be contributing to the mismatch in my expectations for
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participation and students’. From a pedagogical standpoint, research articles include various

suggestions. Bernales (2016) suggests incorporating “free speaking activities,” as opportunities

for students to speak in target language informally about any subject (p. 8). Anxiety is reduced

because students are free to discuss a topic they enjoy, authentically engage in the target

language and feel reduced stress about punitive consequences as the activity is low stakes. Côté

and Gaffney (2018) suggest computer-mediated communication (CMC) as one possible method

that “provides more time to process linguistic input and plan output than spontaneous oral

communication, which may be beneficial to lower proficiency or highly anxious learners” (p. 3).

Research by Côté and Gaffney (2018) show that beginner French learners showed significantly

lower anxiety in a computer mediated environment and, in addition, produced more words in the

target language when compared with the face to face setting (p. 10). In my classroom, I use video

submissions that allow for all students to orally communicate in the target language. I often use

this in place of formal presentations in front of the class as means to reduce anxiety and provide

students more time to produce output in their L2. Villegas and Lucas (2007) also propose

increased wait time to allow students to thoughtfully respond to content (p. 31). I should also

consider allowing students to talk about a topic of their choice, which would contribute to

making positive connections with my students.

Culturally responsive classroom

Lastly, the third theme found across literature spoke to the importance of creating a

classroom that was a positive learning community and implementing curriculum that will engage

students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In order to make a subject matter

meaningful, I must get to know my students on a personal level and allow them to make
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connections with prior knowledge (Villegas & Lucas, 2007, p. 29-30). As Villegas and Lucas

(2007) suggest, “teachers should also be aware of their students’ perceptions of the value of

school knowledge, their experiences with the different subject matters… and their prior

knowledge” (p. 30). Educators who focus on diverse students’ capabilities, rather than the deficit

mindset, have more success unlocking student potential (Villegas & Lucas, 2007, p. 33). When

diverse students are able to make connections and build positive relationships with content and

peers, they are more engaged in the material and therefore, maximizing their potential in the

classroom (Villegas & Lucas, 2007, p. 33). Just because a student is not participating, does not

mean that they are not engaged. It is our job, as educators, to know all students’ individual and

cultural differences.

It is important to note the connection between participation and cultural or social norms.

Research has deemed learner silence as resulting from “resistance to classroom participation,...as

a cultural norm, and as the negotiation of identity” to name a few (as cited in Bernales, 2016, p.

370). These are all factors that the educator must take into account when observing a student and

his level and structure of participation in class. In addition, students who describe themselves as

shy are more likely to participate in a paired setting with a familiar face (Ewald, 2008, p. 158). In

one study, quieter students revealed “they participate more when they like a particular topic or

type of group task” (Ewald, 2008, p. 158). Kuester and Zentall (2012) also suggest the power of

intentional grouping and established antecedent social rules such as turn taking to help students

with ADHD in small, cooperative group settings (p. 91). The literature has provided me with a

deeper understanding of participation in a foreign language classroom, particularly in

understanding the ways in which students participate and possible explanations as to why some
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do not participate as often in spoken form. By creating a classroom that is accepting and

inclusive, I can encourage both verbal and nonverbal forms of participation.

Action

Action 1: Gauge willingness to participate

In gauging students’ willingness to participate, Bernales (2016) and other literature

discuss willingness to communicate (WTC) as a big component to participating in the L2.

Regarding assumptions, I assume that lack of student participation, my main puzzlement, is

because students place less value on participation than quantitative assessments and numeric

values on learning. As my first part of action, I plan to reexamine my assumptions by examining

students’ WTC. At the beginning of the year, I sent out a survey getting to know my students and

one of the questions asked why they wanted to take Spanish 3 Honors. I received a range of

answers from “I wanted the challenge” to “My teacher told me to take the class” and many

answered “I want to learn to speak Spanish and [be proficient].” For my action research, I chose

to focus on the students how set a goal for oral proficiency at the beginning of the year, but still

remain quiet. As part of the initial action plan, I wanted to gauge their willingness to

communicate via student questionnaires. I will ask their feedback on their comfort level

participating and ways in which I can support them in speaking activities. I also plan to film a

class that is primarily focused on speaking to gauge whether the raise their hand, or intend to

speak but, do not actually communicate in the target language (Bernales, 2016). I am curious to

know how the school’s competitive atmosphere and culture aids or impedes students’ willingness

to communicate in the target language. In light of the school culture, are students afraid to make
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 13
mistakes? These steps will help me better understand my students’ perspectives and address

some of the assumptions I have about my cultural question regarding school culture (3.2).

Action 2: Intentional grouping and small group learning

As the literature indicates, small, familiar grouping in foreign language classrooms can

help facilitate oral communication in the target language (Kuester & Zentall, 2012, p. 91; Ewald,

2008, p. 164). Throughout the year, students have “conversation partners” and I try to create

low-stakes opportunities for students to speak in the target language. As Bernales (2016)

suggests, these “free speaking” opportunities have allowed students to converse in the target

language and reduce anxiety about making errors. Similarly, ​Côté & Gaffney (2018) also suggest

using computer mediated conversation to reduce foreign language anxiety. However, even with

similar activities, oral participation is still low and thus I want to explore additional action items

that could potentially address the disconnect between school culture and levels of participation

(3.2). With intentional group activities as described in the literature above, I plan to use familiar

grouping in class so that all students can feel comfortable participating in class. By giving

students opportunities to interact in a familiar setting with the target language, I hope to better

appeal to their individual differences. I hope this piece of the action plan can contribute to an

increase in willingness to communicate in L2.

Action 3: Getting to know my students

The final theme that arose from literature was importance to understand my students and

how my learners construct meaning out of the content (Villegas & Lucas, 2007). As Villegas and

Lucas (2007) suggest, teachers can enhance engagement and learning when culturally responsive

practices are used. This was a theme present in numerous research articles. As my final piece of
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 14
my action plan, I will make greater strides to get to know my students and in doing so, create

lessons that use material that is meaningful and authentic for them. If I am able to use

meaningful content, students have greater potential to be engaged and participate in the target

language. I will take into account the diverse ways in which students “define and manage their

own learning” so that I create a learning environment that is conducive for all learners (Bernales,

2016, p. 380). I want to ensure that my classroom aligns with the school’s commitment to

diversity and is accepting of all learners and cultures. I will incorporate lessons that celebrate our

school’s diversity and get to know my students on a deeper level.

Data Collection and Analysis

What do you Data that will Source(s) of How AND How will you
want to know provide said data when will analyze the
and why information collect data data?

Are students - Google Form - Student - At the -Bar graph

comfortable - Video responses beginning -Observation,
and willing to recording - teacher and end of number of
participate? - Teacher the action hands raised
observation plan, Google
Forms
- Video analysis
pre and post
action plan.

Does - Post Survey - Student - observation - Noting

increased - Teacher responses notes themes about
“informal” observation - teacher - beginning and when students
speaking help - end of action participate
students feel plan
more
comfortable?

Does small - Teacher - Student - Video analysis - Noting

groups (not observation responses pre and post themes about
partners) & - Anecdotal - Teacher action plan. when students
intentional evidence - Other - observation participate
groupings from other teachers’ notes
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 15

increase oral teachers observatio

participation - ns
among quieter
students?

Do students - Student - Student During action - Color- code,

accurately Participation responses plan, end of 3rd look for
self-evaluate Self- - teacher quarter reflection themes across
participation? Evaluation self-evaluation
- Graph growth
in
self-evaluation
s?

As I was beginning the data collection, it is important to remember to validate your

findings by using different methods to collect data. This is known as data triangulation. To begin,

I started with anecdotal information, particularly with the use of surveys. Surveys were given to

to all of my students but, I focused on two sophomore students in particular that are very quiet in

class yet, high achievers on formal assessments. From these surveys, I asked students how

comfortable they were speaking in class and what structures or activities would make them feel

more comfortable, if any. After, whole class discussion also added value as I gathered anecdotal

data about school culture (3.2) in relation to class participation.

In order to best gather conclusions, I also talked to other teachers, specifically their

Honors Algebra II and Honors English II teachers about their performance in class. I chose to

spoke with these two teachers because both are honors level classes, like their current language

class. Additionally, both students have the similar class schedules; in fact, they are synchronous

for English, Math and Spanish. That is, they move from English to Spanish to Math together.

Questions asked to both teachers can be found in Appendix A.

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Once my initial data was collected, I began implementing changes. I began by using

some of the suggestions that students provided in the surveys about comfortability. In fact, one

of their suggestion of small groups of 3-4, instead of pairwork, aligned well with the literature

(Ewald, 2008; Kuester & Zentall, 2012). While implementing these changes, I noted

observations while students worked in small, intentional groupings and noted their level of

engagement. I also filmed class once to observe and gather data more easily. After gathering

initial data, I had students complete self-evaluations on participation and reflect ways in which

they have excelled in class and areas for growth. I wanted to include student perceptions about

the importance of engagement and participation in attempt to best triangulate data.

Emerging Findings and Action Plan Monitoring

As I began to collect initial data, the following began to emerge: 66% of students marked

4 out of 5 comfortability speaking in the target language (Appendix B). The two students I

focused on said the following:

Student N: “I would feel more comfortable if more people talked so it would be easier to

participate”

Student B: I am already comfortable in class. At times I am very tired and it affects my

ability to understand what is said. (translated from Spanish to English)

Other students suggested smaller groups instead of large group or partner discussions. They also

were asked to include their favorite and least favorite assignments or activities in class so I could

get to know the moments when they were most and least engaged from their perspective. Student

B’s response to the question could also provide one element to the cultural question (3.2)
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 17
regarding student culture. The majority of students stay up late to complete homework and

diligently study for assessments. This aspect of school culture and student life is a component

that I had not considered.

Another piece of my action plan was to implement small and intentional groupings. Not

only was this supported by literature, it was also desired by my students. This benefitted both

myself and the students because students felt their opinions were heard and mattered. Small

groups began to be more frequent, especially in daily speaking warm-ups. I allowed students to

write ​before having to produce output in the L2 ​(​Geeslin & Long, 2014). This potentially

reduced foreign language anxiety (​Côté & Gaffney, 2018). According to other teachers, small

group activities also are the preferred method to participate. Student N and Student B are both

particularly engaged in Honors Algebra II. Their math teacher notes, “[Student N] participates in

large group discussions, but [Student B] does not participate as readily...Both students emerge as

leaders in small group work [3 or 4 people]” (Appendix A). Their Honors level English teacher

noted, “[Student N] will participate in large groups unprompted; he is a standout in small group

activities.” He also added this student appears to be more talkative with social peers, that is,

friends in the class, which aligns well with the literature presented by Ewald (2008) (Appendix

B). Their English teacher also noted that [Student B] is always engaged and “internalizing

everything” but more talkative in small groups (Appendix B). I began to see a difference in oral

participation and willingness to communicate in small groups, particularly when groups were

pre-selected and I had considered familiarity. Student N began raising his hand two to three

times per class, rather than previously zero to once per class. This demonstrated willingness to

communicate in the target language (Bernales, 2016). The other component to these small group
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 18
discussion was the topics. I began incorporating more diverse topics of conversation, such as

holiday traditions. Student N shared his family tradition and another quieter student shared his

Easter tradition of the ugliest egg dying contest. These conversations were authentic and allowed

students to engage in the content language while sharing family customs and traditions.

At the halfway mark, I had students assess their participation, this included many

different variants of participation including proper use of technology, preparation for class, oral

participation and respectful toward teacher and peers. Student B gave himself a 16/20 for

participation during the self-evaluation stating “I need to speak more in class.” The

self-evaluation served as a component in the action plan because Student B began verbally

participating more in class. The self-evaluation by Student B is an interesting artifact when

considering the cultural question 3.2. By academic terms and other teacher observation, Student

B is a very serious student and when he reflected upon his self-evaluation, I began to see more

willingness to communicate. Student N had a very similar series of events; however, his spike in

verbal communication began after the initial surveys. I think the initial survey and discussion

following about the importance of speaking in the target language was an enlightening moment.

Student N realized the importance of taking risks and conquering any anxieties about speaking

the foreign language. It is important to note Student N and Student B are both taking AP Spanish

next year and AP Spanish and communicative competence was a topic in the conversation.

At the end of the action plan monitoring period, I completed multiple lessons on strategic

competence. Students were given an expression like “RSVP” or “Ride shotgun” and students had

to explain and describe the expressions without translating literally. After a week of

incorporating such strategies, students appeared much more confident and they would point out
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 19
when another student exhibited strategic competence. In addition, students and I de-briefed about

participation. They completed post-action surveys which showed slighter more comfortability

with verbal participation. Student N has since been one of the most verbal participants in the

class, and appears very willing to communicate. He raises his hand two to three times per class

period. Student B is willing to communicate in small groups and will participate verbally when

wait time is very extended.

Conclusions and Implications

I began this study puzzled and curious to better understand the students who excel in a

pre AP course but, not not participate verbally in class discussions. This research inquiry, based

in action, has demonstrated that willingness to communicate should be valued in addition to

verbal communication in the target language. Literature suggests that while verbal

communication and output production is important to learning another language, there are also

nonverbal ways to engage in the classroom and L2 (Bernales, 2016, p. 1; Bernales, 2016, p. 368;

Ewald, 2006). When evaluating if a learner is willing to communicate, there are a number of

factors to consider including wait time, learner goals and level of content knowledge (Bernales,

2016). Investigating various pieces of literature helped me understand my cultural question 3.2

How might aspects of the school’s culture be contributing to the puzzling situation? a​ nd better

understand my puzzlement.

One of my primary conclusions from this action based inquiry was the research about

foreign language anxiety. In a highly competitive academic school like this, students’

competitive nature can take many different forms. As ​Dörnyei (2005) describes, self-esteem and

anxiety can play major roles in language learning (p. 7-8). Of particular astonishment was the
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 20
study that cited 85% of study participants to experiencing speaking anxiety, particularly in front

of classmates and native speakers (Côté & Gaffney, 2018, p. 2). These factors I had seldom

considered when ​having my students complete speaking assessments. The literature ​helped me to

examine my expectations, assessments and evaluations and re-align them to better meet my

students’ needs.

Secondly, this cultural inquiry process revealed to me the importance of appealing to the

needs of your students. The pre-survey told me that they were, in fact, comfortable speaking in

the class. However, present was a disconnect between comfortability and actual student output.

In asking the students for suggestions and using them as part of my action plan, it revealed to me

the impact this has and will have for my future students. The school culture of competitiveness

will likely not fade; therefore, I need to create intentional groups and an environment in which

students feel those sentiments reduced. Small, familiar groups is one method to do so (Ewald,

2008; Kuester & Zentall, 2012). Additionally, computer mediated output activities can also

reduce anxieties that students face rather than speaking in larger group settings (Côté & Gaffney,

2018). After implementing student suggestions, that were in fact founded in literature, I noticed

my perspective on their level of participation changed. This also was divergent of common

school culture, where few teachers ask input from learners. They were much more engaged in

small groupings and quieter students emerged as leaders. Furthermore, the self-evaluations

proved as guided reminders of the importance of verbal participation considering majority of

these students will take AP Spanish the following year. Overall, I saw a big difference in

language output when students felt their needs and likes met and discussed, respectively, toward

the end of the action plan.

CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 21
On a broader scale, every foreign language educator needs to evaluate the factors of

individual differences and foreign language anxiety as contributors to each learner in the

classroom. These factors should be taken into consideration when designing a foreign language

classroom that is inclusive in nature. If all foreign language educators could engage in these

aforementioned practices more often, if each became more “aware of their students’ perceptions”

the language classroom would have potential to become an even greater inclusive space, valuing

all cultures and experiences (Villegas & Lucas, p. 28). Students, when comfortable, have greater

potential to develop language skills as the learner is not cognitively inhibited by foreign language

anxiety. (Côté & Gaffney, 2018). Therefore, students are more able to readily demonstrate

communicative competence in the target language.

Reflection

Throughout this cultural learning process, there were often moments for pause and

critical reflection. At the beginning of the process, it was overwhelming to try to focus on one

facet, one puzzlement of my classroom as there are so many that I wanted to explore. I chose to

explore participation and the quieter students in my class because I thought that it would impact

the most number of students and be applicable in many classrooms. I would also be able to share

this research with some of my colleagues who at times also ponder the lack of verbal

participation in class.

When I began my data collection, I first wanted to focus on their level of comfort talking

in the target language. When I discovered that 67% of my students felt comfortable participating

in class, I actually grew more puzzled by the situation. According to EDUC 606 course

outcomes, by the end of the CIP, I would be able to “use cultural perspectives and research
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 22
literature to help construct and evaluate appropriate interventions for classroom use.” This

learning outcome is linked to ASTL learning outcomes four and six. The CIP process proved just

that. I learned the most from researching verbal and nonverbal forms of participation and using

the literature to employ a research-based action plan. I learned evaluating participation in the

foreign language classroom, in any classroom for that matter, was multifaceted and complex. I

made the connection and drew parallels between the complex nature of participation in the

classroom and cultural differences. For me, though obvious now, this was the most significant

and impactful piece of learning in this course.

This study has specifically impacted my teaching because I was able to examine more

deeply the importance of creating a culturally inclusive classroom. One of the course outcomes

was “Explain to colleagues the critical importance of considering multiple perspectives and

second language learners’ needs (ASTL Learning Outcomes 5 & 6). In order to maximize

student learning in the classroom, it is essential to consider the various perspectives that enter the

classroom and what you can do to make each learner feel comfortable. While I had previously

considered participation to be a component with many facets, I had not evaluated the depth to

which students can experience foreign language anxiety. Through research and student

questionnaires, I was better able to respond to participation in the classroom and view it not only

as verbal participation but rather, explore other ways to engage all students. Because I have

gained this knowledge, I will also be able to facilitate culturally responsive practices among my

students as well. Though at times the process was daunting and overwhelming, the inquiry

process proved enlightening.

CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 23

References

Bernales, C. (2016). Conflicting pathways to participation in the FL classroom: L2 speech

production vs. L2 thought processes. ​Foreign Language Annals(49)2​ , 367-383. doi:
10.1111/flan.12200

Bernales, C. (2016). Towards a comprehensive concept of willingness to communicate:

Learners’ predicted and self-reported participation in the foreign language classroom.
System(56)​, 1-12.

Côté, S. & Gaffney, C. (2018). The effect of synchronous computer-mediated communication on

beginner L2 learners’ foreign language anxiety and participation. The Language Learning
Journal, 1-12. doi: ​10.1080/09571736.2018.1484935

Dörnyei,​ Z. (2005). ​The psychology of the language learner: I​ ndividual differences in second
language acquisition.​ Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Dörnyei, Z. & Ryan, S. (2015). ​The psychology of the language learner revisited.​ New York,
NY:
Routledge.

Ewald, J. (2008). The assumption of participation in small group work: An investigation of L2

teachers’ and learners’ expectations. ​Issues in Applied Linguistics, 16 ​(2), 151-174.
Retrieved from: https://escholarship.org/content/qt42j8n011/qt42j8n011.pdf

Geeslin, K., with Long, A. Y. (2014). ​Sociolinguistics and second language acquisition:
learning
to use language in context​. New York, NY: Routledge.

Kuester, D. A. & Zentall, S. S. (2012). Social interaction rules in cooperative learning groups for
students at risk for ADHD. ​Journal for Experimental Education, 80​(1), 69-95.

Villegas, A. M. & Lucas,T. (2007). The culturally responsive teacher. ​Educational Leadership​.
CULTURAL INQUIRY STUDY 24

Appendix A

Questions asked to teachers:

1. In what ways does [insert student name] contribute to class?

2. During which activities is [insert student name] most engaged in class?

3. Does [insert student name] participate in large group discussions? How so?

4. Does [insert student name] participate in small group discussions? How so?

5. Is there any other information about [insert student name] that you would like to share

regarding student engagement and class participation?

Pre-Action Student Survey (Google Form)

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Appendix B

Bar Graph- Student Responses (Pre-Action)