CCD international seminar: The Development of Schoolscapes as a Focus within Linguistic Landscape Research

Roswita Dressler is an educational linguistic who examines pre-service and in-service teachers’ understandings of second language teaching and learning. Since many second language teachers in Canada entered teacher education not initially intending to be second language teachers, how they come to understand their role and the pedagogy involved draws on their linguistic identity, the ways in which second language teachers are educated and how second languages are seen in the Canadian context. This has international implications as Canada is often turned to as a leader in second language education based on the history of the world-renowned French Immersion program. Dr. Dressler is an Associate Professor in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary.

This talk examines the development of schoolscapes as a focus within linguistic landscape research. Drawing upon her own work (e.g., Dressler, 2015; Dressler & Hult, 2024; Liu & Dressler, forthcoming) as well as the work of others (e.g., Biró, 2017; Brown, 2012; Szabó, 2015), Dr. Dressler provides an overview of schoolscapes research and two turns: one pedagogical; one exterior. The focus on pedagogical interventions has received considerable attention (Gorter & Cenoz, 2024), whereas the exteriors of schoolscapes are underrepresented (see Cormier, 2020; Symes, 2020). However, the latter holds promise for highlighting how schoolscapes live within and are sometimes in contrast to, the linguistic landscapes around them. Drawing upon nexus analysis (Scollon & Scollon, 2014), Dr. Dressler highlights how schoolscapes are environments populated by specific individuals, functioning according to specific routines, and home to unique discourses. Their unique positioning within neighbourhoods sheds light on their contributions to the ecology of languages in neighbourhoods.

Zoom: https://ju-se.zoom.us/j/64383817360