Overview

This timely book takes a critical look at the teaching of English, showing how language is used to create hierarchies of cultural privilege in public schools across the country. Motha closely examines the work of four ESL teachers who developed anti-racist pedagogical practises during their first year of teaching. Their experiences, and those of their students, provide a compelling account of how new teachers might gain agency for culturally responsive teaching in spite of school cultures that often discourage such approaches. The author combines current research with her original analyses to shed light on real classroom situations faced by teachers of linguistically diverse populations. This book will help pre- and in-service teachers to think about such challenges as differential achievement between language learners and “native-speakers;” about hierarchies of languages and language varieties; about the difference between an accent identity and an incorrect pronunciation; and about the use of students’ first languages in English classes. This resource offers implications for classroom teaching, educational policy, school leadership, and teacher preparation, including reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

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9780807755129

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Reviews

This is an important work made even more important by current political trends around the world, trends that have threatened to close off borders while racist discourses and actions become more explicit. --TESOL Quarterly Motha's insightful, powerful writing challenges us to reconceptualize our understandings and practices of teaching, learning, and using English. --Adult Learning

This is an important work made even more important by current political trends around the world, trends that have threatened to close off borders while racist discourses and actions become more explicit. --TESOL Quarterly

Author Information

Suhanthie Motha is assistant professor in the department of English at the University of Washington, Seattle.

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