Instructors’ attitudes towards linguistic diversity in the university classroom (original) (raw)

Research on language learning has advocated the use of learners’ home languages in the classroom through translanguaging, that is, the process by which multilingual learners draw on all their available linguistic resources simultaneously to make meaning and gain knowledge. Many researchers now argue for the importance of translanguaging as a pedagogical practice because of its cognitive, social, and affective benefits. Despite this research, English-only ideas still permeate many English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms, premised on the idea that international students come to Canada to learn English, and, therefore, should only speak English in class. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to identify ESL instructors’ beliefs about the role of students’ home languages in the English language acquisition process in their teaching practices and explore possible reasons why instructors may have these beliefs. Specifically, this study set out to answer three questions: 1) What are ESL instructors’ attitudes towards the use of languages other than English in the classroom?; 2) In what ways do ESL instructors incorporate students’ home languages in their classroom practices?; 3) How do the instructors’ linguistic backgrounds play a role in their attitudes and practices? Qualitative data for the study was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with five ESL instructors at a major university in Canada. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), we analyzed the interview data to identify discourse patterns that uncovered issues related to language, power, and ideology. The findings of this study offer implications for instructors in considering classroom language policies.