Re-imaginingRe-imagining Language Instruction for Newcomers to Language Instruction for Newcomers to

Canada (LINC)Canada (LINC)

Re-imaginingRe-imagining Language Instruction for Newcomers to Language Instruction for Newcomers to

Canada (LINC)Canada (LINC)

TESL Ontario's 37th Annual ConferenceTESL Ontario's 37th Annual Conference"Language for a Changing World" "Language for a Changing World"

December 10th, 11th and 12th, 2009 December 10th, 11th and 12th, 2009 Toronto, CanadaToronto, Canada

Khaled A. IslaihKhaled A. Islaih

Muslim Community ServicesMuslim Community Services

Who is talking?

Muslims Community Services:Cultural Diversity everywhere

Objective / Assumptions: . Why do we need to redefine

LINC?. What is wrong with our current

English awareness ?. What are the outcomes of re-

thinking LINC (for learners, teachers and Canada at large)?

Outline:• Today’s changing world: why?

how?• How does this worldwide change

affect LINC.• Re-imagining LINC

Today’s Conversation

Methodology:Experiential Learning

Observe patterns and trends

Reflect critically and appreciatively

Google thoughts, feelings, keywords and ideas

Share information, new meanings and create awareness

Methodology:New Literature

“The only way to change is to change your understanding”

Changing World: Intensive globalization

- Governments and corporations

- Economic Globalization

Traditional GlobalizersNew Globalizers

-Immigrants, social network users, activists and bloggers

- Cultural globalization

Changing World:Information Technologies

• Anyone can communicate,

interact and work from anywhere at anytime.• New communication

Landscapes • Screen-based world

Changing World:New Communication Landscapes

• 1200 FBF includes friends, colleagues, family members thought leaders and unknowns.

• Global access• Open, interconnected and

fluid conversations, anyone can join /leave !

• Play with work.• No linguistic rules.

Changing World: New Diverse Realities

Changing World:Old Standard Reality

Changing World: Opportunities and Challenges

Opportunities• New spaces to learn,

work and create value• Space for new ideas,

values and beliefs(Global citizenship, social

change, economic transformation

• Revolutionary potential for individuals and groups

• Space for innovation

Challenges• Information overload• Pervasive change• Changing rules and

models • Global uncertainty• Emotional stress• Communication

breakdown

• Flexible and positive mindset

• Critical literacy• Life-long learning• Use of technology

Changing World: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

• Immigration Change• Learning Change• Language Change• English Change

How does this worldwide change affect LINC?

Immigration Change: Living here and there

• New Globalizers• New forms of mobility • Emerging

opportunities in a global networked economy.

Learning Change: Information everywhere

. Worldwide Classroom

. Living Curriculum

. Learning by doing

. Digital literacy

. Print literacy is not enough anymore.

Language Change:Quantum Linguistics

Traditional linguistics:

• Language is words and phrases

• Language is used to exchange information, justify status-quo

• Language travels through structures and documents.

• Language used to justify power, authority and structure

• Linguistic rules and boundaries

Quantum linguistics:

• Language is consciousness

•Language is used to find new patterns, reshape reality

• Language travels through wireless systems, screens and spaces.

• Language is used to challenge and transform power, authority and structure.

• Linguistic flexibility and fluidity.

Language Change: Optimizing Quantum Consciousness

• Digital language is the key for personal liberation, social change and economic transformation.

• Digital language facilitates multicultural consciousness

• Digital language reshapes our sense of identity, time, place and community.

• Digital language redefines power, authority and economic value.

• Digital language enables personal creativity and collective innovation.

Language Change: Speaking with Digital Tongues

• Hypertext dominate media, education and business spaces.

• Multiliteracies (media, cultural, critical ..etc)

• New fluencies (traditional linguistic fluency is not enough)

English Change: ESL Critique

• ESL ideology is originally based on imperial English

• ESL intellectual representation promotes linguistic categorization and separation.

• ESL is mostly based on Westernized cultural, linguistic and educational icons, values, metaphors and worldviews

• ESL encourages media, cultural and linguistic colonization.

• ESL ideology fosters sense of linguistic and intellectual inferiority among non-native speakers.

English Change:Turning Accents into Assets

• Global English (Globish) • Inclusive, human and

non-judgmental • Simple and accessible to

all users• Reflect the

demographic, political and cultural realities of the 21st century.

• Goes beyond nationalistic and geographic boundaries

English Change:Don’t Speak English!

Speak GLOBISH!

• LINC uses ESL linguistic assumptions and definitions

• LINC professionals use old immigration and geographic theories while working with Canadian newcomers.

• LINC still uses old literacy definitions and expectations.

• Old assumptions enforces social isolation and community disengagement among Canadian Immigrants.

• Old theories limits the potential of Canadian immigrants and communities.

• LINC is not helping newcomers to come out of precarious employment conditions.

English Change:LINC Critique

Re-Imagining LINC:Maximizing Linguistic Turn

• Upgrade settlement, immigration and integration discourse and narrative.

• Retrain teachers and administrators to develop new linguistic consciousness among themselves, newcomer learners and the community at large.

• Use LINC to re-brand immigrants as global citizens and multilingual speakers.

• Provide non-judgmental spaces for English learners to practice their multilingual rights.

Re-Imagining LINC : Maximizing Cultural Turn

• Use social media to LINC learners build their own Transcultural spaces.

• Design learning experiences to mix newcomers with citizens to facilitate intercultural learning and social networking within communities.

• Use cultural turn to brand LINC classrooms as spaces for multicultural consciousness and social innovation.

• Use cultural turn to enable LINC learners to raise bilingual / bicultural kids

Re-Imagining LINC : Maximizing Technological Turn

• Re-design LINC curriculum to incorporate new media and digital skills.

• Use learning technologies to enable newcomer learners to learn, work and create socioeconomic value globally.

• Use learning technologies facilitate community networking and empowerment.

• Use new technologies and open access models to language learners into life-long learners.

Re-Imaging LINC:Maximizing Opportunities for LINC

Professionals • Re-think your professional identity

(teachers are not source of knowledge).• Build your brand as a community

organizer and multicultural innovator. • Upgrade your linguistic consciousness• Learn new skills.• Reflect on your practices• Try new strategies.• Use technology to expand your

professional role and community impact.

• Creative space for human transformation and multicultural innovation.

• Engaged citizens, innovative workforce and sustainable communities

• Foster Canada 3.0 initiative

Re-imaging LINC:Re-spacing Canada

Contacts

Khaled Islaih

905-828-2001

kahled.islaih@muslimcommunity.org

wwww.muslimcommunity.org

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Google Khaled Islaih

Thank you