Language Narratives and Shifting Multilingual Pedagogies: English Teaching from the South

This book challenges monoglossic ideologies, traditional language pedagogies, and dominant forms of knowledge construction by foregrounding multilingual and multicultural students' language narratives, repertoires, and identities. The research is based on a sixteen-year longitudinal study of a sociolinguistics course at an English language university and the language narratives produced by first-year education students. A close analysis reveals complex identity work by students located in the Global South, and the authors argue that decolonizing language education is about reconceptualizing language, reconfiguring what knowledges are valued in the classroom, and reshaping pedagogy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 12 January 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Winner of the UKLA Academic Book Award 2024, this groundbreaking book takes a bold stance against monoglossic ideologies, traditional language pedagogies, and dominant forms of knowledge construction. By centering multilingual and multicultural students' language narratives, repertoires, and identities, it challenges the prevailing notions of language proficiency and academic success. Conducted over a sixteen-year longitudinal study of a sociolinguistics course at an English language university, the research delves into the language narratives produced by first-year education students from diverse social and linguistic backgrounds. Driven by a desire to create a critically inclusive curriculum that engages students from socially and linguistically diverse backgrounds in contemporary South Africa, the study yielded insightful findings. Drawing from data collected from over 5,000 students who have traversed this course, the book showcases how a narrative heteroglossic pedagogy harnesses students' multilingual strengths. A close analysis reveals the intricate identity work undertaken by students situated in the Global South, shedding light on the complex interplay between language, culture, and identity formation. The authors argue that decolonizing language education involves a reconceptualization of language, a reconfiguration of what knowledge is valued in the classroom, and a reshaping of pedagogy to foster a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. This thought-provoking book is a must-read for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to transform language education and promote diversity and inclusivity in the classroom.

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350165915