Skilton-Sylvester Guest Speaker at Swedish Literacy Practices Research Group
Dr. Ellen Skilton-Sylvester, Professor of Education and Director of Global Connections, was the invited speaker at Orebro University at a research network meeting sponsored by the Communication, Culture and Diversity research group on Sept. 21 and 22 in Orebro, Sweden.
The workshop included participants from many different Swedish universities. The emphasis of this particular research seminar was “The Practices of Multi(literacy).” Skilton-Sylveter gave two talks:
- Multiliterate Development, Biliterate Content, and Multicultural Citizenship: “Although there is much scholarly agreement about the value of learning to read and write in two languages,” says Skilton-Sylvester’s abstract, “many immigrant newcomers are not engaged in bilingual programs in schools that support the development of academic biliteracies. This talk addresses the ways that biliterate content can shape what are often seen as monolingual contexts in ways that can meaningfully shape biliterate development and a sense of belonging for immigrant newcomers. Similarly, the talk addresses the ways that oral L1 use, and electronic literacies can support L2 literacy development. Utilizing the continua of biliteracy, and particular the continua of biliterate content and contexts, alongside theoretical models for citizenship in multicultural societies, this presentation looks at the potential for the development of multilingual multiliteracies in seemingly monolingual contexts.”
- Capitalizing on Visual and Electronic Literacies in Multiliteracy Education: “Drawing on the New London Group’s Pedagogy of Multiliteracies, this presentation emphasizes the ways that changes in 21st century literacies, particularly in visual and online communications, provide spaces for language learners that not only create learning opportunities, but potential sources of strength that can give bilingual learners an advantage in acquiring academic literacies,” according to her abstract.
