Ethnographic linguo-didactics method for a multifaceted and in-depth study of texts and literacy-developing strategies in language-teaching

A method with 7 research tools has been developed to analyze students' textual experiences, text literacy practices and capacities in language learning. Attention is paid to the variety of texts that students encounter in language lessons, students' work with texts, students' attitudes towards texts and working with texts, teachers' text selection and the justifications for these choices, etc. 

The proposed methodology additionally allows for the discovery of typical strategies for developing literacy utilized by teachers, teacher agency and student agency (especially in relation to teaching/learning texts), as well as various influencing factors that promote and hinder literacy (e.g., the level of complexity of texts, perspectives revealed in texts, failure to ask about the impact of texts on students' emotional well-being).

The method has been developed with Latvian as an L1 and L2 language in Latvia and as a heritage language in the Latvian diaspora in mind, but it can be used to study the teaching/learning of other languages in various educational contexts.

General information about the study, the research instruments, and methodological comments are provided in English. Any inaccuracies in the English language are the author's responsibility.

The method is created during PostDoc project "Development of a Comprehensive Methodology for the In-Depth Study of Students’ Textual Experiences and Literacy Capabilities in the Language Classroom" (LU-BA-PG-2024/1-0014).