Re Imagining LINC

Re-imagining Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) TESL Ontario's 37th Annual Conference "Language for a Changing World" December 10th, 11th and 12th, 2009 Toronto, Canada Khaled A. Islaih Muslim 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 Globalizers New 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 21 st 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 [email_address] wwww.muslimcommunity.org Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter: Google Khaled Islaih

Thank you

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Re Imagining LINC

by Khaled Islaih on Dec 12, 2009

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