TRIMMING THE HEGEMONY: LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM
Sponsored by the Council of Teachers of Southeast Asian Languages (COTSEAL) (a PDF version of this document is available here)
Southeast Asia is one of the most linguistically diverse area in the world with over 1,000 living languages that belong to five major language families (Ethnologue 2018). In the classroom, however, Southeast Asian languages are traditionally presented as monoliths that perpetuate the often oppressive realities of linguistic hegemony in the region. Furthermore, SEA languages taught in the classroom are not always the home languages for heritage learners or the field languages scholars need to conduct fieldwork. This official COTSEAL roundtable aims to bring together various stakeholders to critically and collaboratively move towards inclusion and equity in and beyond the language classroom. Some questions to inform the discussion:
• What role, if any, do SEA language programs have in representing multilingualism in the region?
• What are some best practices in choosing language teaching materials that are mindful and inclusive for both heritage and L2 learners?
• How can heritage learners from underrepresented languages and cultures be best engaged in the SEA language classroom?
• What are some responsibilities, if any, for SEA language teaching practitioners and area specialists in promoting linguistic equity and accessibility in the region?
• What are the experiences of scholars and practitioners working in linguistically, culturally, and ethnically diverse areas and how can the language classroom best prepare them for the field
We especially invite indigenous advocates and scholars, language teaching practitioners,
linguists, social scientists, and other stakeholders outside academia to participate in this
roundtable discussion.
Please send a short statement NO LATER THAN JULY 30 of how you would like to contribute to the themes and discussions of this roundtable (250 words), CV/resume, and affiliation and contact information to:
Kanjana Thepboriruk, Ph.D.
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Department of World Languages and Cultures Northern Illinois University kanjana@niu.edu
Please send a short statement NO LATER THAN JULY 30 of how you would like to contribute to the themes and discussions of this roundtable (250 words), CV/resume, and affiliation and contact information to:
Kanjana Thepboriruk, Ph.D.
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Department of World Languages and Cultures Northern Illinois University kanjana@niu.edu
