Celebrating the Release of the edited book Language, Culture, and Education in an Internationalizing University
Join us for an event celebrating the release of the book Language, Culture, and Education in an Internationalizing University co-edited by Dr. Beck and Dr. Ilieva and published by Bloomsbury Academic in late 2024. At this event, Drs. Beck and Ilieva will be joined by some authors of the chapters to describe and discuss the key themes and insights of their book. Through a multi-dimensional lens, the book provides an ethnographic analysis of faculty, students, and staff experiences in higher education institutions that place international education at their core. With contributions from various authors presently (or formerly) associated with Simon Fraser University, the book presents a holistic view of current international education policies and practices. It explores critical topics such as cultural difference, the development of intercultural capital, the role of English dominance, and multilingualism in daily academic life. It also addresses the implications of linguistic and cultural diversity in Anglo-dominant universities.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights and engage in a thought-provoking dialogue on international education in an interconnected world.
Presenter Bios:
Kumari Beck is an Associate Professor, Co-Director for the Centre for Research on International Education, and co-academic coordinator of the Equity Studies in Education Masters program in the Faculty of Education. Her research interests span internationalization of higher education, international education, internationalization of curriculum, equity issues in education, decolonial thought, and international development.
Jas K. Uppal Hershorn is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in the Teacher Education Department. Jas’s extensive experience in educating teachers ranges from mentoring and leading in-service teachers at the school district, as well as locally and internationally, and program development in K-12 schools, school districts and at the graduate-level. Her scholarship interests include decolonizing curriculum, (inter)cultural learning, teacher inquiry and change, and praxis for equity in teaching and mentoring.
Roumi Ilieva is an Associate Professor in the fields of applied linguistics and second/additional language education and a Co-Director for the Centre for Research on International Education at the Faculty of Education. Her research interests include internationalization of higher education, language teacher identities and agency, academic identity construction, interdisciplinary collaborations for multilingual student success, language and culture, migration and integration.
Steve Marshall is a Professor and Associate Dean, Research and International in the Faculty of Education. His research focuses on academic literacy and plurilingualism in Canadian higher education, as well as international teacher education. He recently published, co-authored with Arlene Kent Spracklin, a study of university educators from four Southeast Asian countries and the impacts of graduate studies in Canada: “We are in our country. Why do we have to resort to western ways of doing things?: an analytic framework for knowledge application in language teachers studying abroad” (2022).
Eilidh Singh is an EAL Consultant in the Centre for Educational Excellence at Simon Fraser University, Canada. Her work focusses on using a flexible, evidence-based approach to facilitate EAL support for all faculty and TAs. This includes creating and delivering workshops, collaborating on an instructor series exploring linguistically responsive pedagogy, offering consultations, developing materials, contributing to the work of the centre, and working with campus partners on various projects highlighting linguistic diversity on campus. Her continued interest is in how multilingual learners in higher education can best be supported collectively to thrive in L1 content environments.
Michael Sjoerdsma M.A.Sc., Ed.D., P.Eng. is a University Lecturer in the School of Engineering Science at Simon Fraser University and FAS Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies. He teaches courses encompassing various aspects of technical communication and engineering and society. His current research interests focus on students’ concepts of success as they transition to first-year engineering and the persistence of engineering students as they complete their degrees.
Valia Spiliotopoulos is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and teaches in the Immersion, Teacher Education, and Master’s program in Bilingual Studies in English and French. Her research interests focus on content and language integrated learning, academic writing, technology-based language learning, and assessment. She has held leadership roles in teacher education and faculty development centres in order to advance equity and inclusion programs and initiatives in linguistically and culturally diverse educational contexts.
Amanda Wallace serves as an EAL Consultant in the Centre for Educational Excellence at Simon Fraser University. In this role, she collaborates with faculty to create linguistically responsive curricula and innovative teaching methodologies. Prior to her work at SFU, Amanda taught English for Academic Purposes at Seoul National University, gaining valuable insights into the needs of multilingual students. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate, with a significant aspect of her research focused on interdisciplinary collaboration between applied linguists and faculty to better support multilingual students.
Zhihua (Olivia) Zhang is the Director of Education at Trinity Language Centre of Trinity Western University. Olivia’s research interests include teaching and learning English as an additional language, inclusive curriculum and pedagogy, international student experiences, and narrative inquiry as a methodology. Olivia is passionate about intercultural communication and collaboration in teaching and research. She earned her PhD in Languages, Cultures, and Literacies in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University in 2017.
Presenters
- Kumari Beck
- Roumi Ilieva
- Steve Marshall
- Eilidh Singh
- Michael Sjoedsma
- Valia Spiliotopoulos
- Amanda Wallace
- Zhihua (Olivia) Zhang
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