Bryan Meadows (Independent Scholar, Korea)
Abstract
Echoing the conference theme of building bridges, I will articulate a research agenda connecting the two disciplines of nationalism studies and language education. The intersection of the two is relevant to all language educators because the decisions teachers make surrounding national cultures, national languages, and national authenticity are intertwined with ongoing practices of social marginalization beyond the classroom walls. For the theoretical background, I will use everyday nationalism to define nations as social constructions managed in banal discourse. From the field of language education, I will use social practice theory to treat language as a symbolic system informed by power relationships. I will introduce a small set of existing studies that exemplify the research agenda and the qualitative methods required (e.g., ethnographic methods, critical discourse analysis). Finally, I will close with research questions to be investigated in the South Korean context which can carry the research agenda forward.
Research Paper (In person; 25 minutes)
Research Methodologies & Approaches
General Interest
About the Presenter
Bryan Meadows holds a PhD in second language acquisition from the University of Arizona, USA. Over 20 years in language education, he has served English learners of various age groups and in diverse settings. His published research investigates the relationship between nationalism and language education: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4310-6337. His contact email is bryanmeadows24@proton.me.
