SLTC Lecture 8 (2023)

Week 9

Intersectionality in the language curriculum

Dr. Dario Luis Banegas

Have you ever experienced discrimination or priviledge because of your gender+ethnicity+economic status+dominant language?

Intersectionality

Now: different areas of inquiry (politics, economy, education, health, etc.)

Origin: law (gender and race)

Intersectionality refers to the ways in which discrete forms of oppression and identity intersect with each other, as a result of which the nature of oppression experienced by an individual or a group of people is altered and expanded

(Ortaçtepe Hart, 2023, p. 11)

"...intersectionality is not only a framework for considering identity but is also deeply connected to an orientation and understanding of justice, or what others have called intersectional justice 'as committing to consistently acknowledging and disrupting layered, interlocking inequities in the lives and communities of multiply-marginalized students' (Annamma & Winn, 2019, p. 319) as is the case with many of our English language teacher candidates and our students." (Kayi-Aydar et al., 2022, p. 2)

What variety of English does your coursebook/curriculum seem to prefer?

Are there hegemonic constructions of teaching & learning?

(Ubaque Casallas & Aguirre Garzon, 2020)

More questions

Who is usually represented in the input and visuals?

Is it suggested that it's OK to use English to discuss issues around systemic inequitu?

Are aims, activities, etc. oriented towards aspirational futures? How?

Examples

Students ask; students identify

- Prompt students to ask questions that help them identify the nature of inequity. (Kayi-Aydar et al., 2022) Example: What is the background of the politicians in your local area? Do they tend to belong to the same social class? Are they mostly men? Who is usually stopped by police officers in your city? What do people think of immigrants with a different set of beliefs in your area?

Blackness & anti-racist practices

(Bryan et al. (2022)

+ info

Social class

Who studies English in your context? Is the same type of provision in state and private schools? Who has the curriculum in mind? Who has the coursebook in mind? (Glodjo, 2017)

Students read & discuss

issues of celebrity, identity, gender and sexuality

(Svarstad, 2021)

Gender & sexuality diversity

+ info

Teacher education curriculum

TESOL curriculum

Bringing it all together

Social justice

Global citizenship

Teacher & student agency

Decoloniality

Sustainability

This is your safe spaceI am happy you are in this class, I am happy you are in this world.

Happy curriculum analysis!

References

Bryan, K., Romney-Schaab, M., & Cooper, A. (2022). The illusion of inclusion: Blackness in ELT. CATESOL Journal, 3(1), 1-13. Glodjo, T. (2017). Deconstructing social class identity and teacher privilege in the second language classroom. TESOL Journal, 8(2), 342-366. Kayi-Aydar, H., Varghese, M., & Vitanova, G., (2022). Intersectionality for TESOL education: Connecting theory and justice pedagogy. CATESOL Journal, 33(1), 1-10. Ortaçtepe Hart, D. (2023). Social justice and the language classroom reflection, action, and transformation. Edinburgh University Press. Svarstad, L. K. (2021). Cultural studies and intersectionality in English language education: Exploring students’ engagement in issues of celebrity, identity, gender and sexuality. Language Learning Journal, 49(6), 740-752. Ubaque-Casallas, D. F., & Aguirre-Garzón, E. (2020). Re-signifying teacher epistemologies through lesson planning: A study on language student teachers. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 22(2), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v22n2.80687

1) Examine and critique curriculum & materials for blackness2) Examine and critique hiring processes that disadvantage black ELT professionals

Curricular justice

Intersectional justice pedagogy

Core contents & procedures

• Critical thinking through discussions on queer identities
• Culture, religion, & sexuality
• Queering TESOL
• Say "no" to bigots
• Gender diversity as a right