Community-Based Language Learning

Community‐based language learning as a transformative practice: An exploration of the modes of communication

“…Examining how students describe these experiences, relationships seem genuine and do not perpetuate the deficit mindset associated with charity‐based service experiences. Students do not perceive that they are engaging in charity‐based work, or viewing communities as “others,” but are building relationships based on solidarity with the community, a key component to engaging in CBLL while developing critical consciousness (Clifford & Reisinger, 2019). Looking specifically at the students who had only studied but not interacted with Latinx communities and the students who had assumed that all refugees were in need of their help, these community‐based learning opportunities seem to break down stereotypes rather than confirm them.…”

“…This article examines transformative learning (TL) outcomes for world language learners who participate in community‐engaged courses with local language communities. This specific world language curricular pathway—learning through community‐based interactions conducted primarily in the L2—will be referred to in this article as community‐based language learning (CBLL) (Clifford & Reisinger, 2019). CBLL connects academic learning objectives with experiential learning, and is based on reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships among instructors, students, and community groups composed primarily of native and heritage speakers.…”

“…When students participate in community‐engaged pedagogies like service‐learning, they frequently encounter disorienting dilemmas in “border crossing” with diverse communities. The resulting process of self‐examination and exploration can lead to profound or life‐altering perspective transformation, but these dilemmas can also lead to student resistance and disengagement (Clifford & Reisinger, 2019; Hartman et al, 2018), or reinforce stereotypes and assumptions (Himley, 2004; Jones, 2002; Mitchell & Donahue, 2009) about communities. As Welch (2010) observed,

…service‐learning projects do not always provide “the answers”—at least in the way we often construe what that might be.

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“…While there are few studies that focus specifically on the use of L1 or L2 in student reflection, general consensus is that students benefit from engaging in reflection in the L1, especially at beginning and intermediate levels (Crane & Sosulski, 2021; Clifford & Reisinger, 2019; Johnson, 2015). Johnson (2015) commented on the importance of the L1 to process the dissonance inherent in the transformative experience, warning that the “communicative approach, with its reliance on the L2, runs the risk of alienating and marginalizing adult students who need to use the L1 to cope with the shocking experience of learning a new language and culture” (p. 62).…”

LSP vectors: Strengthening interdisciplinary connections

“…The 2016 ISLSP volume (Lafford and King, 2018) already addresses the importance of 21st century skills and propose connections between LSP programs and social justice concerns. Lafford, Abbott, and Lear (2014) and Clifford and Reisinger (2019) have also built links with service-learning courses, texts, and off-campus experiences, which has served to advance LSP and raise its visibility. Now is the time to identify opportunities in emerging areas giving LSP a broader opportunity to engage society such as additional social justice perspectives, humane education, entrepreneurship, leadership, environment, emerging industry fields, less commonly taught languages, languages for military purposes, dual language learning, and community engagement.…”