This course provides the course participants with critical insights into understanding theories, policies and pedagogies of multilingualism in language education. As multilingualism has become an integral aspect of our communities, language teachers are subsequently faced with challenges in addressing the multiple learning needs of students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Drawing on recent studies from second language studies, applied linguistics, literacy studies and English language teaching, this course engages course participants in exploring and understanding both global and local perspectives of multilingualism and diversity in language education. While focusing on multilingual approaches to language education, this course further engages the course participants in exploring ways in which to capitalize on diverse linguistic, cultural and literacy skills through classroom pedagogical practices. The course further provides course participants with opportunities to research and critically analyze sociopolitical issues such as identity, language ideology, language rights, social justice and advocacy/activism and pedagogical issues such as epistemic access, multilingual awareness and translanguaging pedagogies associated with multilingualism and diversity in language education. The course participants will read interdisciplinary issues on multilingualism and diversity in education and carry out research on specific aspects—sociocultural, political and educational/pedagogical—of multilingualism and diversity.
