The goal of this project is to analyze literacy development of adults with limited English proficiency (LEP). The contexts and consequences of English literacy development of Hmong- and Spanish-speaking participants will be documented in a longitudinal study. To describe literacy development, we will use an integrated model of cognitive and affective components embedded within the social and instructional contexts of a participant. The cognitive components will include standard literacy variables such as word recognition, spelling, reading and listening comprehension, writing and metacognitive strategies in both the first language (L1) as well as in English. Linguistic proficincy in both L1 and English will also be included. The affective components include goals and expectations as well as explanatory style. The social contexts include obstacles and support from home, the value and utility of English literacy within that community and previous schooling experiences. Finally the instructional context encompasses the characteristics of the adult education program that a participant is attending. The characteristics include curriculum, teacher background, instructional materials as well as the overall affective climate of the classroom as perceived by the participant. The cognitive and affective variables for each participant will be coded to examine how different subgroups of participants are affected by the instructional contexts as well their own characteristics. The consequences will also be identified as affective and cognitive. In addition to assessing the cognitive outcomes of English literacy development, we will also look at affective outcomes such as increased self-confidence and independence. The qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed to address these three main questions: 1) How do the cognitive and affective variables interact to predict English literacy development in LEP adults? 2) How do the instructional and social context variables influence English literacy development? 3) What are the cognitive and affective consequences of literacy development in LEP adults? ? ? ?
