Supporting new arrival students’ engagement with picture books: analysis of teacher talk using the appraisal theory

AbstractFor a considerable number of migrant and refugee children, their first experience of reading in a second language, and for some even their first encounter with printed materials, is in a new arrivals classroom. This paper looks at teacher talk with new arrival students as they were introduced to reading practices in a classroom. I attempt to use the Appraisal theory to investigate one teacher’s talk, particularly on how she engages the students in reading and talking about children’s picture books. Data for this study were obtained from a new arrivals classroom consisting of Year 6 and 7 students. Using a functional analysis provided by the Engagement system of the Appraisal theory, this paper aims to uncover some of the ways in which the teacher makes use of the verbal and visual resources in children’s picture books to promote engagement with the texts. It is found that teacher talk plays a crucial role in supporting new arrival students’ participation in practices associated with reading and talking about picture book texts. The analysis provides insights into how a teacher supports students with varying backgrounds of literacy experiences to engage with children’s picture books.