NAVIGATING LINGUISTIC AND MODAL BORDERS IN TEACHNG AND RESEARCH WITH SUB-ELITE, MIGRANT, AND REFUGEE-BACKGROUND LEARNERS

Set within the global context of contemporary human migration patterns, mass displacements of refugees and asylum seekers, and growing populations of sub-elite and marginalized learners, the papers in this colloquium showcase... [ view full abstract ]

Set within the global context of contemporary human migration patterns, mass displacements of refugees and asylum seekers, and growing populations of sub-elite and marginalized learners, the papers in this colloquium showcase linguistic and multimodal research being carried out in six geographic locations: Australia, South Africa, Luxembourg, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. By examining how linguistic and modal boundaries are being navigated by learners from these diverse backgrounds and contexts, the presenters identify both varying and overlapping teaching and research issues including the complexity of how learners respond to particular pedagogical practices, and how these responses can be interpreted as agentive; the challenge of addressing established monolingual ideologies alongside views on what it means to teach and learn “a language”; the need to retheorize learning to demonstrate how linguistic, modal, and esthetic choice transforms traditional models of language use in the classroom; the identity negotiations students engage in to succeed academically as well as the role that the English language and migration have played in their lives and those of their families; the requirements for ensuring an equitable education for immigrant students, especially those in vulnerable socio-, political, and cultural contexts; the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of professionals regarding the unique language and literacy learning needs and challenges of youth refugees; and the promising practices for how educators might engage in the construction of safe learning spaces and transformative language and literacies pedagogies that harness diverse learners’ linguistic, cultural and social capital in order to enhance their range of life possibilities. The studies draw on prevalent models of language, learning, and semiotics in schooling that position learners as resourceful, competent, and knowledgeable, highlighting their ability to build on, utilize, and acquire new communicative practices while simultaneously recognizing their unique challenges.