James Corcoran: Scholarly writing for publication in "the Americas": A critical, plurilingual orientation
- Date & time
- –
- Speaker
- James CorcoranDepartment of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Location
- TBC
- Organisation
- Birkbeck
Topics
About this talk
More than twenty years ago, the Council of Europe adopted plurilingualism as a theory of language (and an underpinning for language policy) centred on individual agency, and plurilingual and pluricultural competence "where learners [and users draw from their knowledge of languages, cultures, and semiotic resources (e.g., body, emotion) to make meaning, learn, and communicate." (Payant & Galante, 2022, p. vii). Though rarely adopted as a theoretical framework or conceptual lens when researching or teaching more advanced literacy practices - including in the emerging field of English (or as some would prefer, Language) for research publication purposes (ERPP/LRPP) - plurilingualism seems appropriate, I argue, when considering beliefs and practices of scholars balancing multiple languages. Building upon a growing body of work that challenges monolingual research agendas and ideologies (Navarro et al., 2022; Sousa Santos & Meneses, 2019), this presentation outlines an orientation to applied linguistics work which adopts a mindful "plurilingual gaze" (Curry & Lillis, 2017) that affords examination of academic knowledge exchange between social actors whose language practices are entangled within the contexts in which they occur. Critical plurilingualism, as described by Corcoran and Englander (2025), is set in contrast to an uncritical adoption of a unitary, unified theory of language. It makes space for broader understandings of semiotic reservoirs we draw upon to make meaning in the world. Further, it is an orientation to applied language work explicitly interested in the politics of language and knowledge, one that actively interrogates power relations and their connection to language ideologies and practices. This presentation will discuss the affordances, limitations, and tensions associated with this orientation in "the Americas" (Corcoran et al., 2026). This presentation will be of acute interest to a wide range of stakeholders as it forwards critical, plurilingual examples of research, policy, and pedagogy.
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