This chapter presents a discussion of how teacher candidates can develop an awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and supports students of diverse backgrounds in second language (L2) teaching. Buoyed with a narrative inquiry involving 17 L2 teachers at one independent secondary school in the Northeastern United States, Geneva Gay's culturally responsive teaching is recast, integrating cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity in L2 curricula. Although many teacher participants reported incorporating student background as a resource in informal ways, few teachers (3 of 17) reported formally integrating activities into L2 curricula that supported students in this way. This finding suggests that knowledge of the relevance of student diversity as a resource may also be underrepresented in L2 practices, and implications for L2 teaching and teacher candidates are discussed. Following this examination, the chapter offers a guiding activity that teacher candidates can develop to explore diversity and inform teaching practices.
TopTheoretical Background
This chapter theoretically explores Gay’s (2010, 2013) culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in its relation to the development of teacher candidates’ understandings of diversity. According to Gay (2010), the intent of CRT is to foster L2 learning that is more relevant to and effective for diverse students. CRT can be defined as:
Behavioral expressions of knowledge, beliefs, and values that recognize the importance of racial and cultural diversity in learning. It is contingent on seeing cultural differences as assets; creating caring learning communities where culturally different individuals and heritages are valued; using cultural knowledge of ethnically diverse cultures, families, and communities to guide curriculum development, classroom climates, instructional strategies, and relationships with students; challenging racial and cultural stereotypes, prejudices, racism, and other forms of intolerance, injustice, and oppression; being change agents for social justice and academic equity; (and) mediating power imbalances in classrooms based on race, culture, ethnicity, and class. (Gay, 2010, p. 31)
Culturally responsive teaching uses prior cultural knowledge and experiences of diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant for them. Otherwise stated, it is a technique for improving achievement and helping diverse students centered on their own cultural experiences. This technique assists students in their exploration of cultural diversity, using “cultural heritage, experiences, and perspectives of ethnically diverse students as instructional resources to improve their learning opportunities and outcomes” (Gay, 2013, p. 67).