Lecture by Patricia Baquedano-Lopez, April 18, 2008

The Question of Competence in Language Socialization Research: An Analysis of Rehearsals in Children’s Religious Ritual Practice

by Patricia Baquedano-Lopez, Professor of Language and Literacy, Society and Culture, University of California, Berkeley

“The study of language socialization has as its goal the understanding of how persons become competent members of social groups and the role of language in the process.”  My entry point into this discussion is that an understanding of “competence” is intricately related to the notion of “learning,” a relationship that is implied when we indicate that novices develop competencies, or that they become competent members of their communities. I draw on a set of video recorded activities surrounding First Communion, a Catholic Sacrament and a Church-instituted rite of passage that authorizes children to take the holy host for the first time with the adult congregation. I will describe a number of features of rehearsal and ritual practice that could be useful in illustrating possible points of overlap and a more integrated understanding of competence and learning.

Friday, April 18, 2008
3:00-5:00 pm
370 Dwinelle Hall