TOPICS: MIGRATION: LOCAL AND GLOBAL in Fall 2020 (LI2091)

This course considers how we as humans navigate through different spaces and languages. In the case of human migration, languages often come into contact, spurring linguistic diversity and changes to speech communities. Multilingual communities develop and multiple identities are constructed, while other societies resist the diversity and change. Decisions about policies, social justice and education come into play, affecting the migrants themselves and the societies into and through which they move. This course will address questions about language issues faced by first-generation migrants and their children, including how linguistic diversity affects access to employment, education or health care. A practical component of the course involves engaging directly with students and teachers in junior high schools that welcome migrant youth and other new-comers to France, specifically those who have little to no know knowledge of French language and culture. By combining theoretical reflection and practical experience, the course introduces students to key issues in migration, provides a framework for understanding and analysing these issues, and presents an opportunity to collaborate with others in identifying challenges related to migration and proposing solutions.