Teaching the Nation(s): A Duoethnography on Affect and Citizenship in a Content‐Based EAP Program

Abstract

The plurality of nation in this title foregrounds the challenge of teaching a geopolitical entity whose survival depends on building emotional ties of belonging. These ties can be problematic in diverse societies in which collective identities compete for recognition. In Canada, nationhood tied to language and culture is claimed by French‐speaking Quebecers; it is also invoked by many Western‐Canadian politicians to express a growing alienation from Eastern Canada's perceived socio‐economic dominance. In Canada's constitution, the term First Nations represents the indigenous peoples who are the country's original inhabitants. In this context, teaching the nation(s) is indeed challenging. In response, the authors adopt duoethnography as both research methodology and pedagogy in their content‐based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. They first explore their experiences and emotional attachments to nationhood, reflecting on their influences on teaching around language and citizenship. They then provide two EAP assignments as examples: The first is a course assignment in which students critically examine hyphenated national identities through duoethnographic inquiry. The second is called the Get Involved project, which examines service learning and citizenship. Both examples demonstrate the importance of critical affective literacies to expand the pedagogical repertoires of EAP teachers and students in a time of resurgent nationalism.

Multisemiotics, Race, and Academic Literacies

“…By bringing Southern onto-epistemologies, we focus on our trajectories to challenge knowledge hierarchies and emphasize the struggles of becoming scholars in the Global North. We drew inspiration from duoethnographic works with similar goals in related areas, such as English language teaching, English teacher identity, English for Academic Purposes, and language and literacy practices (Heng Hartse & Nazari, 2018;Lawrence & Nagashima, 2020;Morgan et al, 2021;Morgan & Ahmed, 2023;Rose & Montakantiwong, 2018).…”

“Speak English”: A Comment on English Language Instruction in an Era of Neo‐Nationalism

“…Where it is a residue of colonialism, it invokes a unique duality-a compulsion to learn English, in hopes of propelling mobility through institutions still marked with the vestiges of the occupier, paired with a repulsion rooted in the desire to discard the hegemonic English language in favor of one's own, traditional native tongue. This is illustrated by Morgan and Ahmed (2023), who observe, "Now the young people of Bangladesh are caught up between globalizing market forces, neoliberal language education policies that prioritize English, and a dream for Bengali linguistic nationalism sponsored by the state through rituals, memorials, and various forms of patriotic symbolism. "…”

“…In addition to teaching English, offering identity-affirming course content is also important. Morgan and Ahmed (2023) argue that making students' perspectives on nationalism prominent in course design enhances their confidence and sense of belonging. However, Lima Becker and Oliveira's (2023) study reveals that accomplishing this is not always easy and that educators grapple with how to discuss the complex immigration experiences of students and their families.…”