Raul E. Ybarra Livres

Cultural differences play a part in communication breakdowns between students and teachers, and only a complete understanding of the model that English instructors use when teaching writing gives us an insight into the reasons why. This book observes and analyzes the communication patterns of Latino students in an English course at the college level, closely observing the interaction between Latino students and the teacher, as well as between Latino students and other student groups in the class. Learning to Write as a Hostile Act for Latino Students concludes that cultural differences - and the resulting miscommunications - significantly contribute to the negative impressions Latino students have about the writing process and English courses. Understanding these differences is crucial to improving the teaching of writing to Latino and other minority students.

While Latinos and Latinas are the youngest and largest U.S. minority group, they continue to be among the poorest and least educated. A major contribution of Creating Alternative Discourses in the Education of Latinos and Latinas is that it provides scholars, teachers, and practitioners with counter-hegemonic theories, methods, and pedagogies that challenge the mainstream assumptions about the education of this group. Drawing on rich ethnographic portrayals including life history interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, this interdisciplinary volume bridges diverse bodies of literature in an attempt to bring about changes in the education of Latinos and Latinas.