Term
Spring 2018
Capstone
Thesis
Degree Name
MAESL
Primary Advisor/Dissertation Chair
Michelle Benegas
Secondary Advisor/Reader One
Jill Watson
Peer-Reviewer/Reader Two
Qurina Slayhi,
Abstract
This study addresses the following questions: What funds of knowledge do newcomer students from oral cultures, specifically Somali students, possess? How does this knowledge relate to orality and literacy? Through open-ended interviews with three Somali newcomer families and a Somali outreach worker, four areas of funds of knowledge emerge: the ability to process detailed information mentally; poetry as an oral art; caring for the household through familial roles; and caring for others through fostering relationships. Each of these areas is linked to the oral, concrete, and communal way of life inherent to oral cultures and contrasted with the print-based, abstract, individualistic life of literate cultures. The study draws on the work of Andrea DeCapua and Helaine W. Marshall. Implications include practical recommendations for educators working with students from oral cultures, including students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE).
Research Methodology
Interview
Keywords
ESL/ ELLs, Literacy, SLIFE, Orality
Recommended Citation
Kroeker Calubayan, Charity, "From Orality To Literacy: Funds Of Knowledge Of Somali Newcomers" (2018). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations. 4428.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4428