Understanding Emotions as Intersectionally Embodied in Language Teacher Activism for Emergent Bilinguals

• In Event: Understanding and Navigating Political Contexts Through Advocacy

Abstract

In the United States, there is a long history of discourses and practices that dehumanize emergent bilingual (EB) students, as part of the hegemony of the English language. Language teacher education must provide opportunities for language teachers to question and counter inequitable practices and policies and embedded power relations. Although language teacher emotions are understood as feelings that catalyze actions, the role of language teacher emotions in their pursuit of advocacy work has been relatively underexamined. I examine how one ESL teacher expressed emotions to position herself concerning advocacy work for EBs using a critical race feminist approach to emotions. This analysis suggests how justice-seeking language teachers can strategically use such emotions as resources for their advocacy acts.

Author

• Jihea Maddamsetti, Old Dominion University