“What Up” and “TQM”: English Learners Writing on Facebook to Acquire English and Express Their Latina/o Identities

Abstract

Previous scholarship demonstrates that immigrant students are using digital technologies for unique purposes in their out-of-school writing. This study explores the writing on Facebook of four Latina/o immigrant youth who are English Learners. The findings show that the participants write on Facebook to further their English acquisition and express their Latina/o identities in ways not accessible to them in school. Their purposes for writing demonstrate there is much academic potential in leveraging social networking for in-school writing instruction for immigrant students.