Speakers
Description
Language education does not stop at grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation. It also involves teaching to navigate the social meaning of language and behavior in the real world. Our everyday remarks, jokes, and assumptions may seem brief and subtle on the surface but can communicate our values and beliefs about who belongs, and whose identity, cultural, and linguistic upbringing does not. This workshop will look at microaggressions through the lens of sociopragmatics and ask what language teachers need to notice, question, and respond to in today’s global climate. Drawing on research and documented experiences (e.g., Dovchin, 2020; Glasgow & Kim, 2025; Sue & Spanierman, 2020; Tsai et al., 2021, the workshop will examine cases related to younger learners, including mixed-heritage identity, returnee experiences, accentism, bullying, and social media behavior, while also addressing issues that resonate with university instructors and teacher educators. The goal is not simply to raise our awareness of microaggressions but also to explore, using current resources in this area (e.g., Souza, 2020; Sue et al., 2019), how to respond to harmful comments, behaviors, or environments when we encounter them as observers, targets, or initiators. Participants will be invited to contribute insights into how to create safe spaces in our classrooms and communities.
| Title | Combatting microaggressions in the classroom |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |