Racism and English Language Learning: Employing an Anti-Racist Approach to English as an Additional Language Education

Abstract

Around the world, there is a growing number of linguistically diverse students enrolling in schools with English as the medium of instruction, and most educators are “interacting on a daily basis with learners with backgrounds and experiences different from his or her own” (Dei, 1996, p. 9). Guided in part by Srivastava’s (2007) pedagogical questions about “how we learn racist knowledge, how we perpetuate racist practices, and how we can change our everyday practices” (p. 306), this paper uses ideas from critical race theory (CRT), Dlamini’s (2002) interpretation of critical pedagogy, and Dei’s (1996) principles of anti-racism education to examine the intersection of racism and language, especially in relation to ELLs in K-12 schools in Canada. The author offers suggestions for EAL educators who are looking to implement anti-racist practices in the EAL classroom.