Diversity Cafe Vol. 15: From Multiculturalism to Social Justice: Language Education in the United States and Canada
Details
| Type | Lecture |
|---|---|
| Intended for | General public / Enrolled students / International students / Alumni / University students / Academic and Administrative Staff |
| Date(s) | December 14, 2024 11:00 — 12:00 |
| Location | Komaba Area Campus,In-person and online |
| Venue | ?Komaba I Campus Komaba Active Learning Studio (KALS) /campusmap/cam02_01_16_j.html ?Online (Zoom) |
| Entrance Fee | No charge |
| Registration Method | Advance registration required
This is a hybrid event. Seats for in-person participation are limited to 35; first come, first served. Register here: |
| Registration Period | November 19, 2024 — December 14, 2024 |
| Contact | gfd-tokyo@adm.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
Diversity Cafe Vol. 15:
From Multiculturalism to Social Justice: Language Education in the United States and Canada
Date: Saturday, December 14, 11:00-12:00
Location: Komaba I Campus Komaba Active Learning Studio (KALS) & Online (Zoom)
Language: English
Speakers: Ryuko Kubota
Abstract
Critical approaches to research and practice have increasingly been embraced in the field of language education in North America. This trend is observed in the advocacy for equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice, which can be viewed as an extension of multicultural education. This talk surveys the trajectory of the discourses of culture and multiculturalism in education in the United States and Canada and discusses its connection to language education. During the last few decades, a shift has been observed from the dominance of liberal multiculturalism to critical multiculturalism with an increased recognition of racism and power, and toward social justice with a focus on intersectionality. Ongoing challenges include contesting neoliberal forces and conservative politics, contextually understanding the concept of justice, and exercising praxis with concrete action for change.
Speaker Bio
Ryuko Kubota is a Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. Her research draws on critical approaches to language education, focusing on antiracism, intersectional justice, language ideologies, and critical pedagogies. She is a co-editor of Race, Culture, and Identities in Second Language Education: Exploring Critically Engaged Practice (Routledge 2009); Discourses of Identity: Language Learning, Teaching, and Reclamation Perspectives in Japan (Palgrave 2023); and Race, Racism, and Antiracism in Language Education (Routledge 2025), and the author of 『英语教育幻想』(ちくま新書 2018) and others. Her publications have also appeared in such journals as Applied Linguistics, Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, Journal of Second Language Writing, TESOL Quarterly, and World Englishes.
