Plurilingual Pedagogies in University Language Programs: Rethinking How We Teach to Empower the Language Learner
Plurilingual Pedagogies in University Language Programs: Rethinking How We Teach to Empower the Language Learner
Time: 1:30 to 3:00 pm
Online
Scholars in Applied Linguistics and Language Education research have urgently called for the development of inclusive language pedagogies that embrace the linguistically and culturally diverse repertoires of language learners. In multilingual contexts, such as Montreal, embracing learners’ repertoires and diverse identities is not only important but fundamental to address social and ethical issues of equity, diversity, inclusion and decoloniality in education.
In this talk, Angelica Galante will explain the theoretical framework of plurilingualism and provide examples of research-informed pedagogical applications in language programs. She will then present results of classroom research she has conducted in the past 10 years with language teachers and learners of different languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic) experimenting with plurilingual pedagogies in three different settings: Toronto, Montreal and São Paulo.
Results consistently show that plurilingual pedagogies provide a non-hierarchical model of language teaching which facilitates bottom-up approaches, and learner and teacher agency. Results also show student empowerment, development of vocabulary and plurilingual and pluricultural competence, criticality, and empathy, among many other affordances.
She will conclude the presentation by discussing the affordances of plurilingual pedagogies in university language programs, and how the theoretical framework of plurilingualism requires language teachers to rethink their pedagogical practices and beliefs when teaching in superdiverse educational settings.
About Angelica Galante, PhD, Assistant Professor at McGill University
Angelica Galante is an Assistant Professor in Language Education at McGill University, Director of the Plurilingual Lab, and President of the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics. Her research examines language pedagogy in multilingual and superdiverse settings, affordances of plurilingual pedagogies, social and emotional factors in language development, plurilingual and pluricultural competence development, and language teacher education. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Pat Clifford Awar for Excellence in Educational Research by the EdCan Network, and the 2021 Heather Reisman and Gerald Schwartz Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her work can be found in journals such as Applied Linguistics, TESOL Quarterly, International Journal of Multilingualism, and Applied Linguistics Review.