Language matters. And in the context of teaching English to children that speak another (and sometimes multiple!) language or dialect at home, equality is not the same thing as equity.
As many of you readers know, I was randomly placed into a specialized program in my BEd at York that was called "Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice." To this day, this was one of the best things that has happened to me. Course readings and learnings included works by bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Lev Vygotsky, and deconstructing the theories of Jean Piaget. My practicum placement at a school in downtown Toronto opened up my white suburban eyes and made me realize that equity, anti-racism, and cultural competence are values that should be prioritized by everyone.
Now, as I complete my Specialist in ELL teaching through Queen's, I have added depth to my learning. Identity and cultural affirmation are an integral part of a sense of belonging, so it follows that we must support, plan for, and provide this to our students. Our Newcomers and language learners will then feel more motivation and desire to succeed linguistically and academically. The Alberta Teachers' Association has a great resource called Here Comes Everyone - Teaching in the Intercultural Classroom (2010). Though the document is over ten years old, I think that the way they lead the reader along a development continuum of creating a more equitable and culturally responsive school community is an excellent way to support teachers in their quest to adapt the materials they already have and to think critically about whose voices are being used and whose stories are being told in the classroom. The resource helps educators "actively address social justice and social cohesion in the interest of healthy families and communities; and promote research-based strategies that advance diversity, equity and human rights."
To build community with culture, we must first have a thorough understanding of the complexities, challenges, and benefits inherent to the interactions of different cultures, as well as our own cultural biases. Three components of intercultural teaching competence, as outlined by Dimitrov & Haque (2016) in Intercultural Teaching Competence: A Multidisciplinary Framework for Instructor Reflection are:
What experiences have you had with intercultural competence and equity?
Now, as I complete my Specialist in ELL teaching through Queen's, I have added depth to my learning. Identity and cultural affirmation are an integral part of a sense of belonging, so it follows that we must support, plan for, and provide this to our students. Our Newcomers and language learners will then feel more motivation and desire to succeed linguistically and academically. The Alberta Teachers' Association has a great resource called Here Comes Everyone - Teaching in the Intercultural Classroom (2010). Though the document is over ten years old, I think that the way they lead the reader along a development continuum of creating a more equitable and culturally responsive school community is an excellent way to support teachers in their quest to adapt the materials they already have and to think critically about whose voices are being used and whose stories are being told in the classroom. The resource helps educators "actively address social justice and social cohesion in the interest of healthy families and communities; and promote research-based strategies that advance diversity, equity and human rights."
To build community with culture, we must first have a thorough understanding of the complexities, challenges, and benefits inherent to the interactions of different cultures, as well as our own cultural biases. Three components of intercultural teaching competence, as outlined by Dimitrov & Haque (2016) in Intercultural Teaching Competence: A Multidisciplinary Framework for Instructor Reflection are:
- Foundational - knowledge of our own positionality and ability to respond to difference
- Facilitation - how we can create a safe and inclusive learning environment to promote dialogue in the classroom
- Curriculum design - how we enrich the curriculum with diverse perspectives through content, learning activities, assessments, and modelling
What experiences have you had with intercultural competence and equity?