An Ecological Look at Language Classrooms and Health Disparities: Reflections on Boundaries, Roadblocks, and Pedagogical

Dr. Santos, MIIS TESOL alum, will deliver a talk titled “An Ecological Look at Language Classrooms and Health Disparities: Reflections on Boundaries, Roadblocks, and Pedagogical Connections.” The talk will explore the following question: What are the factors that promote or limit connections between the social ecosystem of U.S. healthcare and the social/institutional ecosystem of the classroom?

Abstract: Language, power, and health are inextricably linked, with disparities on full display throughout the pandemic. Drawing inspiration from Professor Leo Van Lier’s (2012) essay “Classrooms and ‘Real’ Worlds: Boundaries, Roadblocks, and Connections”, I invite your exploration of this question: What are the factors that promote or limit connections between the social ecosystem of U.S. healthcare and the social/institutional ecosystem of the classroom? I discuss a range of constraints and opportunities in our efforts to strengthen the connections between learning in language classrooms and improved health outcomes. I also share new resources that support faculty and students in applied linguistics programs who wish to champion health equity in our field.

Bio: Maricel G. Santos, Ed.D., is Chair and Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at San Francisco State University. She teaches in the MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and EdD in Educational Leadership Programs. From 2008-2013, she was a research scholar supported by a Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) grant from the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health.  Her research explores adult education participation as a health-protective factor in transnational immigrant communities, as well as the ways that adult learners can serve as agents of change in health care. She is a proud alum of the MIIS community (TESOL ’94), which she credits for setting in motion many life trajectories.

Those who want to participate over Zoom can join at https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/8316473547?pwd=aGwyZjJwQlBRbm9oVzVUQ3dHcFI5Zz09.