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Background Two questions to think about The historical, sociopolitical and educational contexts in Canada Minority language rights challenges in Canada Discussion
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The widespread use of English (Crystal, 2004) › 400 million: English as a First Language › 400 million: English as a Second Language › 600 million: English as a Foreign Language
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What are potential impacts of the widespread use of English on other languages › all over the world? › Within a bilingual/multilingual context such as Canada?
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In a bilingual or multilingual context, should immigrant children maintain their heritage languages, that is, continue using their first languages? Why/Why not?
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Potential impacts of the widespread use of English: Linguistic imperialism (Phillipson, 2009) Language rights violation : violating “rules that public institutions adopt with respect to language use in a variety of different domains” (Arzoz, 2007, p. 4).
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› Implications of language rights (Phillipson, Ranuut & Skutnabb-Kangas, 1995): Mother tongue medium instruction (MTMI) Learning at least one official language, as well
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Linguistic minority=immigrant=ESL students
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Personal (Babaee, 2010a) Social (Wong Fillmore, 2001) Cognitive (Cummins, 2001)
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Immigration to Canada: Late 16 th century The total population in 2006: 31,241,030 Speaking a language other than English or French as a first language: 6,147,840 (almost one fifth of the total population)
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Immigration: linguistic diversity Many immigrants: struggling with heritage language maintenance (for example, Kouritzin, 1999)
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Family and first language (L1) community (Guardado, 2010; Guardado, 2002; Torres, 2006; Yu-Tung Carol, 2009) › L1 use at home (Guardado, 2010): Spanish families in BC › the L1 community Resources (Iqbal, 2005): Francophone mothers in BC Size (Guardado, 2010): Spanish families in BC
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School › Attitudes towards HLs (Sotto, cited in Xie, 2010, p. 31) Principals Staff Teachers Peers
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Language policy The medium of instruction: an official language (English or French) MTMI: Anglophone minorities in QB and Francophone minorities outside QB (the Charter, 1982) Other minorities: if a sufficient number of immigrants in a community seek MTMI
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Submersion programs › English/French medium instruction HL programming: › Bilingual programs (BC, AB, SK, MB) › HL courses (BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QB, NS)
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Vague policy: “sufficient” number of immigrants seeking MTMI Bilingual programs: limited to certain provinces and heritage languages › Iranian immigrants in BC: No Farsi/English bilingual programs, no Farsi as a heritage language courses
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Potentially insufficient instructional time in heritage language programs, for example, two and a half hour per week in ON › An objective of HL education: developing communicative competence
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For policy makers › Extending HL instructional time Especially those outside school hours › Bilingual programs in other HLs › HL courses in other HL languages
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› Informing community members of the possibility of HL education at public schools › Partnership with L1 communities: Offering HL courses in L1 communities, taking credits
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for Teachers › Creating a supportive atmosphere in the classroom › Facilitating collaborative and cooperative learning opportunities in the classroom (pair/group work)
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› Inviting community members to their classrooms › Asking students to relate subject areas to their ethnic backgrounds, comparing and contrasting with peers
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Communicative skills: › Translation (words and short stories) › Functions e.g. greetings in first languages (English and HLs) › Guessing games e.g. talking in a HL and acting out › Posters in all students’ L1s (English and HLs) on the walls › Drawing attention to prefixes, roots, suffixes in English and asking for equivalents in HLs
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The academic proficiency › Translating terms (for example, The Internet, bilingual dictionaries) › Additional resources (for example, books, websites) › Simplified instructions Pictures Simplified language Additional explanation
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Modified assignments – Recognition, rather than, production Modified assessment – Multiple choice, rather than essay type, format
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These strategies tend to › communicate the message to immigrant students that their HLs are recognized, valued and used at school, and that using these languages could facilitate the learning of English. › include a variety of HLs, not simply specific ones. › communicate the message to English- speaking students that HLs must be recognized and respected in the classroom.
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Thank you for your attention. Naghmeh_um@yahoo.ca
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Other suggestions for protecting language rights in Canada? Your own context: › Are minority language rights protected or violated? How? › Any suggestions? Other relevant issues
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