Language and Power

ENGD-SHU 101A Language and Power

Linguist James Paul Gee has described English language teachers as standing “at the heart of the most crucial educational, cultural, and political issues of our time.” The course will examine this phenomenon, placing you at the intersection of service-learning, English language teaching, and critical applied linguistics. It is designed to integrate experiential learning with an exploration of the broader forces which influence educational settings.

With the support of Professor Marcel Daniels, and in partnership with a local volunteer organization, you will teach English for migrant communities in Shanghai. At the same time, through discussion seminars, readings, and reflective writing, you will explore the social, cultural, and political factors which often intersect with language teaching, and consider how these factors operate in the context of your service-learning project. Seminar topics will include linguistic imperialism, language stigma and status, English as a lingua franca, and the rise of global Englishes.

Watch this video to learn more about Language and Power when it was taught before. Also read this article about the course.

Course Details: “Topics in Service Learning: Language and Power” is a letter-graded course taught by Professor Marcel Daniels, spanning the second 7 weeks of the fall semester and the first 7 weeks of the spring semester. Scholars earn a total of 4 credits overall (2 credits per 7-week stage) and are required to commit to both the fall and spring because the spring course and service builds on the fall experience. The class will meet once in late September for an orientation to the course, then once a week during the second half of the Fall semester. Participating in both the fall and spring semester components is required.

Service Commitment: In the fall, students commit to teaching for around 2 hours per week. You will teach in pairs of two based on your schedules and Stepping Stone's needs.

Eligibility to Apply: Students of all years who can commit to the above requirements are eligible to apply. Anyone with an interest in service-learning, language learning, or language teaching is encouraged to apply, regardless of your first language. A multilingual cohort of students is desired to facilitate learning from one another.

Application Instructions: Please fill out the application form. Questions can be directed to Professor Marcel Daniels at marcel.daniels@nyu.edu.