It’s Not in the Curriculum: Adult English Language Teachers and LGBQ Topics

Abstract

For adult English language learners, the English language classroom provides a space for students to examine cultural as well other identities. However, discussions often center on racial, rather than sexual identities. In addition, attention to how adult English language instructors engage in classroom practices that focus on sexual identities is often limited. This article examines how adult educators in English language classrooms feel regarding the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer (LGBQ) topics and materials into their curriculum and instruction. Through a web-based survey, teachers described their beliefs, practices, and challenges in creating lessons and responding to student questions in ways that broke down heteronormativity in the adult English language classroom. Findings add to the limited knowledge of how teachers in post-secondary, English language classrooms create and support a culturally responsive learning environment regarding sexual identities.

Interpersonal Factors Affecting Queer Second or Foreign Language Learners’ Identity Management in Class

“…To complicate matters, even those classrooms that strive to be inclusive can ignore the heterogeneous needs and concerns of queer learners (Moore, ). Despite these pedagogically undesirable results, studies focusing on English‐as‐a‐second‐language (ESL) teacher education (Rhodes & Coda, ; Wadell, Frei, & Martin, ) suggest that training on queer issues is inconsistent at best and nonexistent in most cases.…”

Culturally engaging courses and campuses for LGBQ+ issues.

“…LGBQ+ students (Brockenbrough, 2018;Guerrero et al, 2017). Heterosexist norms and policies may also discourage instructors from engaging in culturally relevant content and discussions around sexuality and identity in the same way they do with more widely accepted aspects of identity like race (Rhodes & Coda, 2017). We measure how culturally engaging courses are in terms of how much students engage in discussions about LGBQ+ issues and how comfortable students feel brining up these issues in and out of class.…”

A Practical Guide to Queering the Adult English Language Classroom

“…The reasons underlying English language teachers’ reticence to be inclusive of students’ sexual identity are multi-faceted. In recent surveys, adult English language teachers frequently noted that they did not include lessons about minority sexual identities because they were not included in their textbooks and resources (Nelson, 2009; Paiz, 2015; Rhodes & Coda, 2017). This was often noted in conjunction with a belief that the institution sponsoring classes did not sanction these lessons.…”

“…Or, are there? Although adult educators teaching in these multi-cultural and linguistically heterogeneous environments use practices designed to embrace their students’ diverse ethnic and linguistic identities, they less frequently incorporate practices to be inclusive of another important element students bring into the classroom, their sexual identity (Nelson, 2009; Rhodes & Coda, 2017). The result is an imbalanced, thus, overall ineffective, use of culturally inclusive teaching.…”

“…The resultant heteronormativity effectively excludes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students to be their true selves in their English language classrooms. However, evidence suggests that educators want to be inclusive of minority sexual identities but are reluctant for a variety of reasons, including not knowing how to do so (Nelson, 2009; Rhodes & Coda, 2017). The purpose of this article is to supply English language teachers of adults with strategies to positively address sexual identity in ways that establish an inclusive environment for all learners.…”