~ Charu Gupta, University of British Columbia
Review of Teaching where you are: Weaving Indigenous and slow principles and pedagogies, by Shannon Leddy & Lorrie Miller (2024)
« On parlait pu de la compétence de la personne » : Le leadership et la soi-disant pénurie du personnel enseignant francophone selon la théorie de la race et de la langue
~ Mélissa Villella, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Résumé
Cet article porte sur la construction sociale de la race à titre de concept ignoré, alors que celui-ci peut aider à regarder autrement la pénurie du personnel enseignant francophone en Ontario. Dans ce contexte, l’élite blanche et francophone née au Canada adopte plus souvent un discours interculturel (Groupe de travail, 2021 ; Rocher et White, 2014), au lieu d’un discours multiculturel critique (Madibbo, 2022) ou d’un discours antiraciste (Ibrahim, 2016) afin d’expliquer cette pénurie ; ce premier discours est empreint d’un aveuglement au racisme systémique anti-Noir (Potvin, 2018). Notre analyse se fonde ainsi sur la théorie critique de la langue et de la race (Crump, 2014), qui s’inspire de la théorie critique de la race (Ladson-Billings et Tate, 1995), et est renforcée par les résultats d’une thèse doctorale où les neuf participants ont été confrontés à des incidents critiques positifs ou négatifs ayant eu un impact sur leur leadership au regard du racisme systémique anti-Noir. Afin de jeter un regard critique sur le leadership de deux participants, nous avons examiné leurs réflexions en rapport avec les processus d’embauche et d’insertion professionnelle, les conversations entre Blancs et l’assignation de cours (ou non) au personnel enseignant noir, selon une perspective intérieure. L’objectif est de mettre en exergue comment l’intersection de la race et de la langue en contextes francophones minorisés sont fixes (Crump, 2014). Cet article permet d’explorer autrement le racisme systémique anti-Noir en contexte francophone minorisé qui est aussi devenue une responsabilité professionnelle en éducation en Ontario (OEEO, 2021).
Abstract
This article focuses on the social construction of race as a neglected concept, although it can help us look differently at the shortage of francophone teachers in Ontario. Within this context, white and francophone elite born in Canada usually adopt an intercultural discourse (Groupe de recherche, 2021; Rocher and White, 2014), instead of a critical multicultural discourse (Madibbo, 2022) or an anti-racist discourse (Ibrahim, 2016) to explain this shortage. However, this first discourse is synonymous with colourblindness to systemic anti-Black racism (Potvin, 2018). Our analysis, based on Critical language and race theory (Crump, 2014), which therefore draws on critical race theory (Ladson-Billings and Tate, 1995), is reinforced by the results of our doctoral thesis where nine participants discussed positive or negative critical incidents that had an impact on their leadership regarding anti-Black systemic racism. In order to critically examine the leadership of two participants, we examined their reflections regarding conversations between whites regarding the hiring and professional integration processes of Black teachers, as well as the assignment of courses (or not) to Black teachers, from an internal perspective. The objective is to highlight the way in which the intersection of race and language in minority francophone contexts is determined (Crump, 2014). This article offers an alternative way of exploring systemic anti-Black racism in a minority francophone context, which has also become a professional responsibility in education in Ontario (OEEO, 2021).
On Nurturing Our Teacher Identities through a Polyethnographic Lens
~ Jonathan Purdy, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
~ Lena Barrantes Elizondo, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
~ Li Pei, Xi’an International Studies University, China
~ Sylvie Roy, University of Calgary, Canada
Abstract
This article examines teacher identity from different perspectives and contexts where personal histories, diverse teacher’s roles, and pedagogical factors impact its construction. Four scholars in higher education from four countries met during an International Doctoral Research Forum and shared the construction of their teacher identity using a polyethnographic approach. Concepts of teacher identity and three aspects of social theory (social structure, situated experience and identity) form the basis of the investigation. Following the tenet of “currere”, this polyethnography involved reflective conversations through regressive, progressive, analytical and synthetical processes. This article contributes to the body of knowledge of teacher identity and enables teachers to align with some perspectives of what it means to be or become a teacher. It is also an example of the value of sharing experiences from transdisciplinarity and transculturality and the importance of building communities for university teachers that promote reflection and change.
Résumé
Cet article examine l’identité de l’enseignant à partir de différentes perspectives et divers contextes pour lesquelles les histoires personnelles, les divers rôles et les facteurs pédagogiques ont un impact. Quatre chercheurs de quatre pays différents se sont rencontrés lors d’un Forum international de recherche doctorale et ont partagé la construction de leur identité d’enseignant à l’aide d’une approche polyethnographique. Nous avons utilisé trois aspects de la théorie sociale, soit la structure sociale, l’expérience située et l’identité pour situer notre étude. En suivant le principe du « currere », nous offrons des réflexions à travers différents processus attribués à la polyethnographie (processus régressifs, progressifs, analytiques et synthétiques). Cet article contribue à l’ensemble des connaissances sur l’identité des enseignants. C’est également un exemple de transdisciplinarité et de transculturalité. Nous démontrons l’importance de créer des communautés de pratique qui favorisent la réflexion et le changement.
“I get asked that all the time”: Confronting Polite, White Canadians and the Politics of Belonging in Obligatory Interrogations
~ Karen Pennesi, University of Western Ontario
Abstract
Obligatory interrogations are opportunities to reinforce and challenge ideologies of Canadians as polite and white. Obligatory interrogations are microaggressions involving politics of belonging, arising from a white interrogator’s perception that the target’s identity is ambiguous or marked. Interrogations begin with a request for self-disclosure like “Where are you from?” or “What’s your real name?” I analyze metadiscourse surrounding obligatory interrogations from 57 interviews with residents of two cities in Canada: Montreal and London, in addition to first-person narratives published by people of colour in North America. Bridging scholarship on politeness, belonging and critical race theory, I examine conflicting evaluations of politeness in obligatory interrogations. The analysis considers unequal power distribution, agentive moves in metadiscourse, and the effects on identities and relationships of repeated microaggressive encounters. White interrogators believe their questions to be polite. Some targets answer politely, finding the questions annoying but normal. Others interpret the interrogation as rude or racist, refusing to respond or imagining alternative questions and answers. Challenging hegemonic white politeness, they stake their claim to belonging as Canadians and point toward a more genuine politeness. This research demonstrates how racialization and marginalization work through mundane linguistic practices and suggests that understanding politeness requires a critical approach.
Résumé
Les interrogatoires obligatoires sont l’occasion de renforcer et de remettre en question les idéologies des Canadiens comme personnes polies et blanches. Les interrogatoires obligatoires sont des microagressions impliquant des politiques d’appartenance, le résultat d’une perception par un interrogateur blanc que l’identité de la personne-cible est ambiguë ou marquée. Ces interrogatoires commencent par une demande de divulgation de soi, comme « D’où venez-vous ?» ou « Quel est votre vrai nom ? » J’analyse le métadiscours autour des interrogatoires obligatoires à partir de 57 entretiens avec des habitants de deux villes au Canada, c’est-à-dire Montréal, Québec, et Londres, Ontario, ainsi que des récits à la première personne publiés par des personnes de couleur en Amérique du Nord. Faisant le lien entre les études sur la politesse, l’appartenance et la théorie critique de la race, j’examine les évaluations contradictoires de la politesse dans les interrogatoires obligatoires. L’analyse tient compte la répartition inégale du pouvoir, les mouvements agentifs dans le métadiscours et les effets sur les identités et les relations sociales des rencontres microagressives répétées. Les interrogateurs blancs pensent que leurs questions sont polies. Certaines personnes cibles répondent poliment, car elles trouvent que les questions sont ennuyeuses, mais normales. D’autres interprètent ces interrogatoires comme impolis ou racistes, refusant de répondre ou imaginant d’autres questions et réponses. Remettant en cause la politesse blanche hégémonique, ils revendiquent leur appartenance à la population canadienne et s’orientent vers une politesse plus authentique. Cette étude montre comment la racialisation et la marginalisation passent par des pratiques linguistiques banales et propose une compréhension de la politesse à travers une approche critique.
Plurilingualism, Plurilinguals, and Pluri-positionality: How plurilingualism empowers speakers in relation to norms
~ Sarah Jones, OISE, University of Toronto
Abstract
Modern global societies are characterized by complex heterogeneity and increased localized diversity. Within the field of applied linguistics, this is reflected in the increasing interest in plurilingualism as a theoretical approach and axiological position on language use. In this conceptual article, I argue that plurilingualism empowers language users in relation to normative standards of language use. Plurilingualism sees successful language use as enabling mutually-understood communication by speakers using appropriate resources in their linguistic repertoires. Plurilingual speakers make informed decisions based on perceived opportunities, including knowledge of conventional language norms, in order to take communicative action toward their language goals and desires. While tensions do exist between perspectives of norms emerging bottom-up through dynamic use and norms being imposed top-down through language ideology, plurilingualism contributes a view of norms as both reliant on and reflective of increasingly creative orientations to norms through their use and interpretation by plurilingual social agents. I discuss both plurilingualism and plurilingual speakers as they orient to norms in contemporary contexts, with implications for both conceptual and pedagogical change.
Résumé
Les sociétés mondiales modernes se caractérisent par une hétérogénéité complexe et une diversité localisée accrue. Dans le domaine de la linguistique appliquée, cela se reflète dans l’intérêt croissant pour le plurilinguisme en tant qu’approche théorique et position axiologique sur l’utilisation des langues. Dans cet article, je soutiens que le plurilinguisme habilite les utilisateurs de la langue par rapport aux normes conventionnelles d’utilisation de la langue. Le plurilinguisme considère l’utilisation réussie de la langue comme celle qui permet une communication mutuellement comprise par les locuteurs en utilisant les ressources appropriées dans leurs répertoires linguistiques. Les locuteurs plurilingues prennent des décisions éclairées en fonction des opportunités perçues, y compris la connaissance des normes linguistiques conventionnelles, afin de prendre des mesures vers leurs objectifs et désirs linguistiques. Bien que des tensions existent entre des perspectives de bas en haut par une utilisation dynamique et les normes imposées de haut en bas par l’idéologie de la langue, le plurilinguisme contribue à une vision des normes à la fois dépendantes et réfléchissant des orientations créatives des normes à travers leur utilisation et leur interprétation par des agents sociaux plurilingues. Je discute à la fois du plurilinguisme et des locuteurs plurilingues dans leur orientation vers les normes dans des contextes contemporains, avec des implications pour l’utilisation de la langue à la fois à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur de la classe de langue.
Penser avec les théories : perspective translangagière (translanguaging) et création d’histoires bilingues multimodales
~ Geneviève Brisson, Université de Sherbrooke
~ Magali Forte, Simon Fraser University
Résumé
Dans cet article, nous adoptons une approche de recherche post-qualitative et pensons avec des concepts issus de la perspective translangagière (translanguaging). Nous mobilisons deux concepts, celui de posture translangagière et celui de pratiques translangagières spontanées. Nous les mettons en relation avec des moments vécus dans une classe du primaire où l’anglais est la langue d’enseignement. Lors de nos visites dans cette classe, nous avons observé la création d’histoires numériques en deux langues par des élèves plurilingues. Dans cet article, nous revenons sur deux de ces moments et réfléchissons de manière critique à la disposition ouverte d’une enseignante envers les répertoires linguistiques de ses apprenantes ainsi qu’à l’organisation visuelle de ScribJab, l’application utilisée par cette classe. Celle-ci a été centrale dans notre projet de recherche exploratoire portant sur la création d’histoires bilingues et multimodales. Notre réflexion nous amène à mettre de l’avant l’importance de soutenir les compétences langagières des apprenantes sans opérer une séparation entre les langues. Ceci permettrait de favoriser le développement de pratiques de littératie fluides et décloisonnées permettant aux apprenantes de faire appel à l’ensemble des langues de leur répertoire.
Abstract
In this article, we adopt a post-qualitative research approach as we think with concepts from translanguaging. We think we translanguaging stance and spontaneous translanguaging in relation to moments from visits in an elementary classroom in which English was the language of teaching. When we visited this classroom, we observed plurilingual students creating digital stories in two languages. In this article, we explore two of these moments, and reflect critically on a teacher’s open disposition towards her students’ linguistic repertoires and on the visual organization of ScribJab, the application used in the classroom. This application was central to our exploratory research project on digital and multimodal bilingual stories. Our thinking leads us to put forward how important it is to support learners’ language skills, without separating the languages. This would encourage the development of fluid literacy practices and allow learners to use all the languages in their repertoire.
A New Chapter for J-BILD
~ Alison Crump, Marianopolis College
~ Lauren Halcomb-Smith, Deakin University
After seven years of managing J-BILD, it is time for a new chapter for J-BILD. After many long discussions and much individual reflection, Lauren and I have decided that the time is right for us to step down from our respective roles as J-BILD Managing Editor and Senior Managing Editor. As the architects and co-founders of J-BILD, we are committed to mentoring the next managing editor team into these roles. The call for applications is on our website for now, until the process is complete.
We hope that as the journal embarks on its next chapter, the seed of an idea that Lauren and I had for this journal back in 2016 will continue to grow. We wanted to provide a space for scholarly publishing that emphasizes scholarly rigour, open access, community, peer mentorship, and collaboration. We always feel it is important to remind readers that J-BILD is an entirely volunteer-run journal that relies upon the contributions of many who share our values and vision for scholarly publishing. J-BILD occupies a space in the publishing landscape that pushes against normative standards in commercial publishing (paywalls, anonymity, and metrics) and privileges a critical, gentle disruption of norms in the production of scholarship.
We published the first J-BILD issue in fall 2017, and after 8 volumes and 13 issues between the two of us, including this one, we have given birth to (or continued to raise) 5 children, undergone three geographical moves, in one case across a very large ocean, and found our respective footings in our post-PhD careers in higher education — Alison as Associate Dean, Programs at Marianopolis College in Montreal, and Lauren as Manager, Scholarly Communication and Research Outputs at Deakin University in Australia. Along the way, J-BILD has kept us connected to each other, to shifts and movements in sociolinguistics research and in scholarly publishing, and to emerging scholars.
What a tremendous journey this has been for us! We are tremendously grateful to J-BILD authors, peer mentors, and copy editors for the trust they have put in our model of publishing. J-BILD, we will be cheering you on!
Article Summaries
Research Studies
In « Penser avec les théories : perspective translangagière (translanguaging) et création d’histoires bilingues multimodales », Geneviève Brisson and Magali Forte “think with theory” in their discussion of activities they observed in Vancouver-area classrooms, homes and a library. For the past decade Brisson and Forte have been working with the multilingual and multimodal ScribJab website/digital toolkit developed at Simon Fraser University. They insist on the useful distinction “perspective translangagière” and “approche translangagière” to make it clear that the more broadly based “perspective” on translanguaging as a way to view linguistic interaction generally should not be lumped together with the “approach” to pedagogical practices (in this case ScribJab-generated) that they observed. Using the perspective to illuminate the practices (i.e., “thinking with theory,” a thought process which for them includes methodology), Brisson and Forte analyze interview data from learners and a teacher, as well as the actual productions learners created with ScribJab. They conclude that despite the considerable potential of ScribJab to enable translanguaging activities both by and with learners, a colonially-based monolingual mindset unfortunately (and surprisingly) still lies at the root of the way the software was designed and of the way even the most enlightened teachers view their English-language-teaching task.
Sarah Jones gives us a conceptual overview of recent theoretical developments in her paper “Plurilingualism, plurilinguals, and pluri-positionality: Empowering speakers in relation to norms.” She asks the question “How does plurilingualism serve to empower speakers, regardless of linguistic background, in relation to normative standards of language use?” and embarks on a useful problematization and redefinition of the key concepts “plurilingualism,” “plurilingual speakers” and “norms.” Jones goes all the way back to the 1960s work of Gumperz in her discussion of linguistic repertoire, bringing the notion up to the present day with a full treatment of the different ways “plurilingualism,” “multilingualism” and other terms (with which the reader will doubtless be familiar) have been defined and used in recent years. Moving through a discussion of agency, Jones points out how important plurilingual pedagogical practices can be in contemporary classrooms, thus connecting seamlessly with Brisson & Forte’s implied call in the preceding article to make pedagogical practices more truly plurilingual. The article winds up with a more general plea for broadly based perspectives on plurilingualism to enter into widespread use outside classrooms, a view with which this journal is fully in agreement.
We move from plurilingual theory and its potential applications in classrooms to the very concrete, data-based territory of the ways ordinary Canadian speakers engage with each other in their casual interactions, specifically when white Canadians perceive “otherness” in a new acquaintance. In “‘I get asked that all the time’: Confronting polite, white Canadians and the politics of belonging in obligatory interrogations,” Karen Pennesi incorporates critical race theory into a discursive approach to politeness to examine a type of microaggression which she calls obligatory interrogations. Most of us like to think that we are always polite. In fact, politeness, as Pennesi points out, “reflects the views of powerful groups”—in this case, white English-speaking Canadians with British-based names. Obligatory interrogations of the “But where are you really from?” type are all too familiar to those of us with “different” names who may be non-white and/or speak English with a “non-native” accent. Through an exploration of data collected during interviews with over fifty participants in London, ON and Montreal, QC, Pennesi exposes the racism underlying these obligatory interrogations in merciless, sometimes disturbing detail. The interrogations are obligatory because the Othered person being nailed to the spot by the nice polite white Canadian questioner can’t get away from them, nor refuse to answer without themselves being considered rude — a phenomenon with which many readers may be only all too familiar. In Pennesi’s work, with which readers of this journal may be familiar (our very first issue in 2017 featured an earlier Pennesi piece on the tribulations experienced by bearers of “unusual” names), the supposedly polite people initiating these obligatory interrogations are, very satisfyingly, not allowed to get off the hook.
In our next article, a team of four researchers—three of them doctoral students at the time of writing and one their mentor during workshops at the University of Calgary in 2019—share their perspectives on what it means to develop a teacher identity across four different national, linguistic and cultural contexts. Jonathan Purdy (Australia), Lena Barrantes Elizondo (Costa Rica), Li Pei (China) and Sylvie Roy (Canada/Quebec) title their paper “On nurturing our teacher identities through a polyethnographic lens.” We learn about their different trajectories through this polyethnographic paper, involving reflective conversations analyzed post hoc through the regressive, progressive, analytical and synthetical processes laid out by William Pinar in the approach to understanding teacher identity he calls “currere.” As the four authors point out, their collaboration is an example of the value of sharing experiences from transdisciplinarity and transculturality. Through their conversations, we follow the community-building process that continues to sustain this group despite their current far-flung locations. The difficult personal work required to become an effective and confident professional teacher is, as readers will know, much more easily accomplished in a community than alone. This article can stand as an example and model of that process.
Our next article, by Mélissa Villella, keeps us within the bounds of teacher identity as it is constructed and perceived by practitioners, but in a very different context. Villella takes us into the rather hermetic universe of Ontario’s minority francophone school system, where she shows us that the supposed shortage of Francophone teachers is in fact a shortage of white francophone teachers. In « On parlait pu de la compétence de la personne » : Le leadership et la soi-disant pénurie du personnel enseignant francophone selon la théorie de la race et de la langue,” Villella draws on LangCrit (critical language and race theory) to highlight the way in which the intersection of race and language in minority francophone contexts is determined. Starting with a discussion of racism at large in Canadian society, Villella narrows her focus to zero in on anti-Black racism, in Canada, in Ontario, in Ontario’s schooling system and specifically in Ontario’s French-language schooling system. From a more extensive database of interviews, she has selected two for in-depth analysis in this article. Both teachers are white and francophone de souche, with different levels of exposure to the principles of anti-racist education. Neither is able fully to overcome the cultural baggage they bring with them when asked to interact with non-white teachers, newly arrived in Canada and from very different educational traditions. Villella makes a clear case for more anti-racist education being badly needed, both for pre-service and (perhaps even more urgently) for in-service teachers and for administrators in this school system—one is inclined to think, in most school systems in North America, given the shortage of licensed local teachers and the large number of qualified teachers from elsewhere who have trouble getting into the system.
Book Review
Charu Gupta reviews a 2024 monograph for us, Teaching where you are: Weaving Indigenous and slow principles and pedagogies, by Shannon Leddy & Lorrie Miller, in useful detail. Combining textile-based metaphors with Indigenous pedagogical traditions and knowledges as well as “Slow” pedagogies, Leddy & Miller (as interpreted by Gupta) explore ways to more effectively decolonise education in British Columbia, and by extension elsewhere. Gupta draws on her own background as a recently arrived multilingual educator in Canada to show how this book helped her to connect to her positionality on, and responsibility to, the land. This is the kind of connection we could all benefit from understanding better for ourselves.
Les conceptions et les pratiques enseignantes inspirées du Cadre européen commun de référence d’enseignants de français langue seconde en Ontario
Samantha Van Geel, Université d’Ottawa
Résumé
Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude qui avait pour objectif de comprendre les conceptions de l’enseignement et de l’apprentissage et les pratiques enseignantes inspirées du Cadre européen commun de référence (CECR) (Conseil de l’Europe, 2001) d’enseignants de français langue seconde (FLS) en Ontario. Dans le but de favoriser le bilinguisme au Canada et de soutenir l’enseignement et l’apprentissage du FLS, le gouvernement fédéral promeut l’utilisation du CECR (Patrimoine canadien, 2006), tout comme le ministère de l’Éducation de l’Ontario (2013a). Cependant, les recherches antérieures montrent que les enseignants ont de la difficulté à imaginer l’utilisation du cadre dans leurs pratiques. À la suite d’une analyse thématique, huit entrevues semi-dirigées menées auprès d’autant d’enseignants ont permis de constater, avant tout, que les enseignants estiment que le CECR permet de mieux comprendre la définition du FLS et sa séquence d’enseignement, que les pratiques d’enseignement inspirées du cadre soutiennent le développement de compétences pratiques pour la vie réelle en FLS chez les élèves, et qu’il existe des liens entre les conceptions (système de croyances) et les pratiques à ce sujet.
Abstract
This article presents the results of a study that aimed to understand the conceptions of teaching and learning, and the teaching practices inspired by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (Council of Europe, 2001) of French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers in Ontario. To foster bilingualism in Canada and to support FSL teaching and learning, the federal government promotes the use of the CEFR (Canadian Heritage, 2006), as does the Ontario Ministry of Education (2013a). However, previous research shows that teachers have difficulty imagining the use of the framework in their practices. Following a thematic analysis, eight virtual semi-structured interviews with as many teachers found, first and foremost, that teachers believe that the CEFR provides a clear understanding of the definition of FSL and its teaching sequence, that teaching practices derived from the framework support the development of FSL skills practical for real life in students, and that there are connections between conceptions (belief system) and practices related to this subject.
2023 • Vol. 7(1) • 87 – 106 • ISSN 2561-7982 •
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Pluricultural Perspectives on Plurilingual Identity: A Critical Intersectional Literature Review
Rebecca Schmor, University of Toronto
Abstract
Drawing on a methodology of intersectionality, this critical literature review synthesizes existing knowledge on the topic of plurilingual identity while critically prioritizing studies produced by traditionally marginalized scholars from historically excluded contexts. The first part draws on a larger set of articles (n=114) written in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese to investigate who(se research) is represented in this topic area. The second part explores what themes are present in a subset of 18 studies which represent the least cited articles written by female scholars in peripheralized contexts. The first part of this review finds that research on plurilingual identity is predominantly written in English and French and underrepresented in Italian and Spanish. Findings from the 114 articles show a dominance of female authors affiliated with core countries writing on (neo) liberal themes. The second part of this review reveals that, within the subset of 18 articles, there was no evidence of a connected theory or demarcated definition of plurilingual identity. As such, this review identifies the need for a distinct conceptualization of plurilingual identity itself while contributing to the development of intersectional methodology and advocating for increased transparency of author positionality.
Résumé
S’appuyant sur une méthodologie d’intersectionnalité, cette revue critique de la littérature synthétise les connaissances existantes sur le thème de l’identité plurilingue, tout en priorisant les études produites par des chercheurs traditionnellement marginalisés et de contextes historiquement exclus. La première partie s’appuie sur un ensemble plus vaste d’articles (n = 114) rédigés en français, anglais, allemand, espagnol, italien et portugais pour déterminer qui est représenté dans ce domaine thématique. La deuxième partie explore les thèmes présents dans un sous-ensemble de 18 études qui représentent les articles les moins cités écrits par des chercheuses dans des contextes périphériques. La première partie de cette revue constate que la recherche sur l’identité plurilingue est majoritairement rédigée en anglais et en français et sous-représentée en italien et en espagnol. Les résultats des 114 articles montrent une prédominance d’auteurs féminins affiliés aux pays dominants qui écrivent sur des thèmes (néo)libéraux. La deuxième partie de cette revue révèle que, dans le sous-ensemble de 18 articles, il n’y avait aucune preuve d’une théorie connexe ou d’une définition précise de l’identité plurilingue. Par conséquent, cette revue identifie le besoin d’une conceptualisation distincte de l’identité plurilingue elle-même, tout en contribuant au développement d’une méthodologie intersectionnelle et en plaidant pour une transparence accrue de la positionnalité de l’auteur.
2023 • Vol. 7(1) • 107 – 124 • ISSN 2561-7982 •
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Chinese Student Newcomers’ Transition to a Canadian Postsecondary EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Program: Bicultural Responses and Acculturation
Chuanmei Lin, McGill University
Cameron Smith, University of Ottawa
Abstract
The study investigated the cultural and linguistic lived experiences of Chinese international student newcomers in a Canadian postsecondary English for Academic Proposes (EAP) program. This article aims to explore Chinese students’ transition trajectories within an educational institution in Canada. As Chinese English learners are immersed in Canadian tertiary education settings, their assumptions about knowledge and culture will be challenged, impacting their identities and learning trajectories. Experiences of integration can be positioned across a continuum of bicultural practices, favouring the home or host cultures, depending on how newcomers select and respond to the acculturation process. In this study, we argue that Chinese-dominant biculturalism is one type of response to the host culture by students who have limited English proficiency and little contact with the larger Canadian society. On the other hand, Canadian-dominant biculturalism is another response type that marks an ongoing adjustment of identity loss, transformation, and reclamation, which involves a process of transforming identity between the initial feelings of loss and final reclamation as participants work through experiences of marginalisation. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of Chinese students’ trajectories and have implications for how home and host institutions can support these students as they embark on their studies internationally.
Résumé
Cette étude a porté sur les expériences culturelles et linguistiques vécues par les étudiants internationaux chinois nouvellement arrivés dans un programme postsecondaire canadien d’anglais sur objectifs universitaires. Cet article vise à explorer les trajectoires de transition des étudiants chinois au sein d’un établissement d’enseignement au Canada. Au fur et à mesure que les apprenants chinois s’immergent dans l’enseignement supérieur canadien en anglais, leurs hypothèses normatives sur les connaissances et la culture sont remises en question, ce qui a un impact sur leurs identités et leurs trajectoires d’apprentissage. Les expériences d’intégration peuvent être positionnées sur un continuum de pratiques biculturelles, favorisant la culture d’origine ou la culture d’accueil, en fonction de la manière dont les nouveaux arrivants choisissent et réagissent au processus d’acculturation. Dans cette étude, nous soutenons que le biculturalisme à dominante chinoise est un type de réponse à la culture d’accueil par les étudiants qui ont une maîtrise limitée de l’anglais et peu de contacts avec la société canadienne dans son ensemble. D’autre part, le biculturalisme à dominance canadienne est un autre type de réponse qui marque un ajustement continu de la perte, de la transformation et de la récupération de l’identité, ce qui implique un processus de transformation de l’identité entre les sentiments initiaux de perte et la récupération finale au fur et à mesure que les participants travaillent à travers des expériences de marginalisation. Nos résultats contribuent à une meilleure compréhension des trajectoires des étudiants chinois et ont des implications sur la manière dont les établissements d’origine et d’accueil peuvent soutenir ces étudiants lorsqu’ils entreprennent leurs études à l’étranger.
2023 • Vol. 7(1) • 68 – 86 • ISSN 2561-7982 •
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