Culturally Sustaining Systemic Functional Linguistics Praxis

By introducing a framework for culturally sustaining Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) praxis, Harman, Burke and other contributing authors guide readers through a practical and analytic exploration of youth participatory work in classroom and community settings. Applying an SFL lens to critical literacy and schooling, this book articulates a vision for youth learning and civic engagement that focuses on the power of performance, spatial learning, community activism and student agency. The book offers a range of research-driven, multimodal resources and methods for teachers to encourage students' meaning-making. The authors share how teachers and community activists can interact and support diverse and multilingual youth, fostering a dynamic environment that deepens inquiry of the arts and disciplinary area of knowledge. Research in this book provides a model for collaborative engagement and community partnerships, featuring the voices of students and teachers to highlight the importance of agency and action research in supporting literacy learning and transformative inquiry. Demonstrating theoretically and practically how SFL praxis can be applied broadly and deeply in the field, this book is suitable for preservice teachers, teacher educators, graduate students and scholars in bilingual and multilingual education, literacy education and language policy.

Ruth M. Harman is Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, USA. Kevin J. Burke is Associate Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, USA.

1 Introductions: Our Book Authors and CS SFL Programs 2 CS SFL Praxis with Multilingual Youth: What on Earth Does That Mean? Prelude1: Relationship Building and Critical Community Engagement 3 Testimonios: Developing Relationships to Nurture Civic Engagement and Learning Prelude 2: Visual and Spatial Modalities 4 CS SFL Praxis: Mapping and Designing Prelude 3: Movement, Hip Hop and Performance: Integral Components of CS SFL Praxis 5 CS SFL Praxis: Language Play 6 CS SFL Praxis in Motion: How Performance Supports Embodied Inquiry Prelude 4: Youth Refusal and CS SFL Failures 7 CS SFL Praxis in Visual and Digital Design: Narratives of Resistance and Creation 8 Theoretical Reflections on the Affordances and Challenges of the Work 9 CS SFL Praxis and Embodied Inquiry: Implications and Conclusions