Abstract
Growing attention to the concept of plurilingualism in the field of Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) has prompted discussions about the theory and its application to practice. While plurilingualism values the knowledge of both languages and cultures, the cultural dimension—despite its importance— needs more exploration in TESOL. Equally important have been discussions about the feasibility of implementing plurilingual pedagogies in non-European countries. In TESOL, monolingual practices that follow “English-only” approaches still seem to prevail in many contexts, including Canada—an officially bilingual country. These discussions are necessary so that practical applications that ultimately benefit students’ language and cultural learning can be put forth. This chapter includes a critical reflection of my own TESOL practice in the Canadian higher education context. First, I discuss a theoretical shift in TESOL pedagogy by introducing plurilingualism along with a critical perspective. Drawing from the theory, I then explain how it can be translated into practice by reflecting on two case studies: one with new immigrants and one with international students. Finally, I examine implications in both case studies. The chapter concludes by positing that a critical perspective, one that is context-specific, is key for pluriligualism in language teaching, including TESOL.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
For instance: CELTA, Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, is an internationally recognized pre-service teaching certificate; ICELT, In-Service Certificate in English Language Teaching, is an internationally recognized in-service teaching certificate; DELTA, Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, is an internationally recognized certificate for experienced teachers; TESL Canada, Teachers of English as a Second Language - Canada, provides national certification standards for teachers of English as a Second Language; TESL Ontario, Teachers of English as a Second Language Association of Ontario, provides provincial (Ontario) certification for teachers of adults who speak English as a Second Language.
References
Abiria, D. M., Early, M., & Kendrick, M. (2013). Plurilingual pedagogical practices in a policy-constrained context: A Northern Ugandan case study. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 567–590. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.119
Benesch, S. (1993). ESL, ideology, and the politics of pragmatism. TESOL Quarterly, 27(4), 705–717. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3587403
Busch, B. (2012). The linguistic repertoire revisited. Applied Linguistics, 33(5), 503–523. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/ams056
Busch, B. (2015). Expanding the notion of the linguistic repertoire: On the concept of Spracherleben—The lived experience of language. Applied Linguistics, 36(4), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amv030
Canada. (1982). The Canadian charter of rights and freedoms. Retrieved from http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH37-4-3-2002E.pdf
Canada. (1985). Canadian multicultural act. Retrieved from http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/C-18.7.pdf
Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2006). A place for all: A guide to creating an inclusive workplace. Retrieved from http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/sites/default/files/aplaceforall_1.pdf
Canagarajah, A. S. (2009). The plurilingual tradition and the English language in South Asia. AILA Review, 22, 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.22.02can
Conteh, J., & Meier, G. (Eds.). (2014). The multilingual turn in languages education. Opportunities and challenges. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Cook, V. (1999). Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185–210.
Cook, V. (2016). Where is the native speaker now? TESOL Quarterly, 50(1), 186–189. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3587717
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Strasbourg, France: Cambridge University Press.
Council of Europe. (2018). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume with new descriptors. Provisional Edition.
Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(2), 221–240. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/CJAL/article/view/19743
Cummins, J. (2009). Multilingualism in the English-language classroom: Pedagogical considerations. TESOL Quarterly, 43, 317–321. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00171.x
Cummins, J. (2015). Intercultural education and academic achievement: A framework for school-based policies in multilingual schools. Intercultural Education, 26(6), 455–468. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2015.1103539
Ellis, E. (2013). The ESL teacher as plurilingual: An Australian perspective. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 446–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.120
Flores, N. (2013). The unexamined relationship between neoliberalism and plurilingualism: A cautionary tale. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 500–520. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43268031
Freire, P. (2011). Pedagogia do oprimido (50th ed.). Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Paz e Terra.
Gajo, L., & Steffen, G. (2015). Didactique du plurilinguisme et alternance de codes: le cas de l’enseignement bilingue précoce. Canadian Modern Language Review, 71(4), 471–499.
Galante, A. (2015). Intercultural communicative competence in English language teaching: Towards validation of student identity. BELT-Brazilian English Language Teaching Journal, 6(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.2740
Galante, A. (2018a). Linguistic and cultural diversity in language education through plurilingualism: Linking the theory into practice. Handbook of Research and Practice in Heritage Language Education, 313–329.
Galante, A. (2018b). Examining foreign language policy and its application in an EFL university program: teacher perspectives on plurilingualism. In K. Bailey & J. Crandall (Eds.), Global perspectives on educational language policies (pp. 46–55). New York, NY: Routledge.
Green, D. W., & Abutalebi, J. (2013). Language control in bilinguals: The adaptive control hypothesis. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 25(5), 515–530.
Green, D. W., & Li, W. (2014). A control process model of code-switching. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 29(4), 499–511. https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2013.796377
Grommes, P., & Hu, A. (Eds.). (2014). Plurilingual education: Policies – Practices – Language Development. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins.
Jared, D., Cormier, P., Levy, B. A., & Wade-Woolley, L. (2012). Cross-language activation of phonology in young bilingual readers. Reading and Writing, 25(6), 1327–1343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-011-9320-0
Kroll, J. F., Bobb, S. C., & Wodniecka, Z. (2006). Language selectivity is the exception, not the rule: Arguments against a fixed locus of language selection in bilingual speech. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 9(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728906002483
Kroll, J. F., Bogulski, C. A., & McClain, R. (2012). Psycholinguistic perspectives on second language learning and bilingualism: The course and consequence of cross-language competition. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 2(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.2.1.01kro
Krumm, H.-J., & Jenkins, E.-M. (2001). Kinder und ihre Sprachen–lebendige Mehrsprachigkeit: Sprachenportraits gesammelt und kommentiert von Hans-Jürgen Krumm. Wien, Austria: Eviva.
Kubota, R. (2016). The multi/plural turn, postcolonial theory, and neoliberal multiculturalism: Complicities and implications for applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 37(4), 474–494. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu045
Marshall, S., & Moore, D. (2018). Plurilingualism amid the panoply of lingualisms: Addressing critiques and misconceptions in education. International Journal of Multilingualism, 15(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2016.1253699
Moore, D., & Gajo, L. (2009). Introduction – French voices on plurilingualism and pluriculturalism: theory, significance and perspectives. International Journal of Multilingualism, 6(2), 137–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710902846707
Morgan, B. (1998). The ESL classroom: Teaching, critical practice, and community development. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Norton, B. (2013). Identity and language learning: Extending the conversation (2nd ed.). Bristol, UK: Multilingual matters.
Norton, B. (2016). Identity and language learning: Back to the future. TESOL Quarterly, 50(2), 475–479. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.293
OSLT. (n.d.). OSLT overview. Retrieved from http://co-oslt.org/en/wp-content/uploads/OSLT-Overview.pdf
Otheguy, R., García, O., & Reid, W. (2015). Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review, 6, 281–307. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2015-0014
Pennycook, A. (1999). Introduction: Critical approaches to TESOL. TESOL Quarterly, 33(3), 329–348. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3587668
Piccardo, E. (2013). Plurilingualism and curriculum design: Toward a synergic vision. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 600–614. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43268036
Piccardo, E. (2018). Plurilingualism: vision, conceptualization, and practices. In P. P. Trifonas & T. Aravossitas (Eds.), International handbook on research and practice in heritage language education (pp. 207–226). Toronto, ON: Springer.
Piccardo, E., & Galante, A. (2018). Plurilingualism and agency in language education: The role of dramatic action-oriented tasks. In J. Choi & S. Ollerhead (Eds.), Plurilingualism in teaching and learning: Complexities across contexts (pp. 147–164). New York, NY: Routledge.
Schwartz, M., & Asli, A. (2014). Bilingual teachers’ language strategies: The case of an Arabic–Hebrew kindergarten in Israel. Teaching & Teacher Education, 38, 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.10.013
Statistics Canada. (2012a). Analysis of the Canadian immigrant labour market, 2008 to 2011. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/71-606-x/2012006/t035-eng.htm
Statistics Canada. (2012b). Linguistic characteristics of Canadians. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/98-314-x2011001-eng.cfm
Taylor, S. K., & Snoddon, K. (2013). Plurilingualism in TESOL: Promising controversies. TESOL Quarterly, 47(3), 439–445. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.127
Tsui, A., & Tollefson, J. (2007). Language policy and the construction of national cultural identity. In A. Tsui & J. Tollefson (Eds.), Language policy, culture, and identity in Asian contexts (pp. 1–21). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Wald, S., & Fang, T. (2008). Overeducated immigrants in the Canadian labour market: Evidence from the workplace and employee survey. Canadian Public Policy, 34(4), 457–479. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25463634
Wong, J. K.-K. (2004). Are the learning styles of Asian international students culturally or contextually based? International Education Journal, 4(4), 154–166. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ903817.pdf
Yashima, T. (2013). Agency in second language acquisition. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics (pp. 1–7). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Galante, A. (2020). Plurilingualism and TESOL in Two Canadian Post-secondary Institutions: Towards Context-Specific Perspectives. In: Lau, S.M.C., Van Viegen, S. (eds) Plurilingual Pedagogies. Educational Linguistics, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36983-5_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36983-5_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-36982-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-36983-5
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)