Resumen de Mother-tongue literacy in the Cambodian Community of Philadelphia

N.H. Hornberger

• In the present article mother-tongue literacy in the Cambodian Community in the United States will be dealt with. A report will be given on a longitudinal ethnographic study of literacy in two language-minority communities in the United States to describe the literacy practices and the attitudes toward Ll literacy in the Cambodian Community. On the basis ofearlier studies it is assumed that individuals develop and use their language and literacy skills in response to the environmental pressure acting on them in the particular contexts of their daily lives. The present article explores to what degree there are monoliterate or biliterate contexts that require or encourage Ll literacy use in the daily lives ofmembers ofthe Cambodian Community in the United States. The occurrence of mother-tongue literacy events in a ränge of Community contexts is documented. The experiences of individuals with and attitudes toward Ll literacy are also recorded. In this way the influences that appear to be affecting Ll literacy maintenance in this Community are assessed.