Seventy-six-year-old Alvenia Bridges is someone who could be described as forever young. While sh... more Seventy-six-year-old Alvenia Bridges is someone who could be described as forever young. While she contends with typical signs of aging such as osteoporosis and arthritis, her daily meditative walks, diet of primarily salmon and avocados, and invigorating friendships contribute to her youthful demeanor. But a healthy lifestyle can only account for so much. Her captivating storytelling is what truly keeps her young. When she recounts her ability to move throughout the world in the heyday of her youth and when she describes how music allowed her to escape a violent beginning and discover her true purpose for existing, she transports both herself and her listener to another place and time. In doing so, age loses all meaning. Furthermore, her experience as a Black woman navigating the predominantly white and male-run world of Rock and Roll bears witness to the racial and gendered dynamics that exist in the music industry, highlighting how the past informs the present. By narrating an in...
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved Frenchspeaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of "making French an asset for new Americans," the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person's linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants' experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does the program address French as a heritage language that may be only one of many heritage languages a student possesses and that may only have a minimal presence as a home language? A second line of inquiry then focuses on individual participants' language ideologies. Given that many students come from former French colonies, what are their reasons for learning French? What are their attitudes toward French and other languages? What is their relationship with their countries of origin, with France, or with the greater Francophone world? Through these questions, this article charts multilingual identity formation, cultural exploration, and creative expression.
Senegal Abroad explores the fascinating role of language in national, transnational, postcolonial... more Senegal Abroad explores the fascinating role of language in national, transnational, postcolonial, racial, and migrant identities. Capturing the experiences of Senegalese in Paris, Rome, and New York, it depicts how they make sense of who they are-and how they t into their communities, countries, and the larger global Senegalese diaspora. Drawing on extensive interviews with a wide range of emigrants as well as people of Senegalese heritage, Maya Angela Smith contends that they shape their identity as they purposefully switch between languages and structure their discourse. https/:/uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5763.htm
In attempts to conceptualize identity formation in the French Caribbean, authors and literary sch... more In attempts to conceptualize identity formation in the French Caribbean, authors and literary scholars have championed different movements such as Negritude, Creoleness, and Creolization. However, these theorizations are not just within the purview of elite academic discourse or producers of literary works because 'everyday people' debate and reflect on these issues as well. In exploring the complexities of being a citizen of a French overseas department where Martinicans must confront French assimilationist practices that imagine France as a white, European, French-speaking nation above all else, this sociolinguistic, qualitative study advances discussions concerning language, citizenship, and inclusion in light of continued dissatisfaction with the racial politics associated with language practice both on the island and the mainland. In doing so, it provides a new understanding of how racial hierarchies are reproduced and/or contested in everyday language as well as in postcolonial theory and literature.
Just as the distinction between ‘French’ and ‘Francophone’ has implications in French literary st... more Just as the distinction between ‘French’ and ‘Francophone’ has implications in French literary studies, the boundaries that position certain groups as outsiders also exist in French society at large, where just because one speaks French, one is not necessarily a legitimate French speaker. For instance, while linguistic legislation in France stipulates that one must demonstrate a certain level of language proficiency in order to be granted citizenship as a means of fostering social integration, experiences of discrimination and exclusion evoked in interviews with 24 Senegalese immigrants and French citizens of Senegalese origin call into question the link between proficiency and acceptance. Through an applied linguistics perspective, this article demonstrates that linguistic competence is often determined by more than just the ability to use a language; it depends on the ability to prove cultural legitimacy, which is directly tied to understandings of race, nationality and language o...
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved French-speaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of “making French an asset for new Americans,” the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person’s linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants’ experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does...
SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to lang... more SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to language learning. However, presenting culture in the language classroom poses certain problems. For learners, there is a tendency to stereotype others and to rely excessively on the teacher. For teachers, there is a tendency to transmit isolated facts without elaboration and to associate a target language with a single monolithic culture. This article presents a pedagogical approach to culture that not only exposes students to networks of authentic texts but also motivates them to research for themselves the many subtleties of the target culture. By learning how to approach a network of texts, students gain deeper insight into the target culture and develop their ability to interpret texts that they will subsequently encounter on their own. This approach will be illustrated by a detailed lesson plan as well as an analysis of the responses of students who engaged with these materials in an advanced intermediate level French class. _______________ 1 Kramsch borrows Rosenblatt's (1978) terminology of aesthetic reading to describe "what happens during the actual reading event" (Kramsch, 1993, p. 123). She argues that "although they must decipher the images, or concepts, or assertions, that the words refer to, readers also have to pay attention to the associations feelings, attitudes, and ideas that these words and their referents arouse within them" (p. 123). Aesthetic reading creates spaces for students to reflect on how they feel when they read a certain passage as opposed to what facts they take away from it. 2 Appendix 3 presents an example of how the principles proposed in this article can help teachers create a wide range of lesson plans that are custom-tailored to students' levels and interests as well as to current events.
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved French-speaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of " making French an asset for new Americans, " the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person's linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants' experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does the program address French as a heritage language that may be only one of many heritage languages a student possesses and that may only have a minimal presence as a home language? A second line of inquiry then focuses on individual participants' language ideologies. Given that many students come from former French colonies, what are their reasons for learning French? What are their attitudes toward French and other languages? What is their relationship with their countries of origin, with France, or with the greater Francophone world? Through these questions, this article charts multilingual identity formation, cultural exploration, and creative expression.
SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to lang... more SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to language learning. However, presenting culture in the language classroom poses certain problems. For learners, there is a tendency to stereotype others and to rely excessively on the teacher. For teachers, there is a tendency to transmit isolated facts without elaboration and to associate a target language with a single monolithic culture. This article presents a pedagogical approach to culture that not only exposes students to networks of authentic texts but also motivates them to research for themselves the many subtleties of the target culture. By learning how to approach a network of texts, students gain deeper insight into the target culture and develop their ability to interpret texts that they will subsequently encounter on their own. This approach will be illustrated by a detailed lesson plan as well as an analysis of the responses of students who engaged with these materials in an advanced intermediate level French class.
Just as the distinction between 'French' and 'Francophone' has implications in French literary st... more Just as the distinction between 'French' and 'Francophone' has implications in French literary studies, the boundaries that position certain groups as outsiders also exist in French society at large, where just because one speaks French, one is not necessarily a legitimate French speaker. For instance, while linguistic legislation in France stipulates that one must demonstrate a certain level of language proficiency in order to be granted citizenship as a means of fostering social integration, experiences of discrimination and exclusion evoked in interviews with 24 Senegalese immigrants and French citizens of Senegalese origin call into question the link between proficiency and acceptance. Through an applied linguistics perspective, this article demonstrates that linguistic competence is often determined by more than just the ability to use a language; it depends on the ability to prove cultural legitimacy, which is directly tied to understandings of race, nationality and language ownership.
While African immigrants and Italians of African descent have become more
visible in Italian soci... more While African immigrants and Italians of African descent have become more visible in Italian society since the 1980s, Italian culture and identity are still largely understood by majority white Italians in terms of race, nationhood, and family history. Overwhelmingly absent from these national discussions concerning the inclusion of immigrants, foreign residents, and so-called non-Italian citizens in society are the very people at the center of these debates. To give voice to some of these individuals, this article explores how a specific group, the Senegalese community in Rome, conceptualizes and understands identity formation as foreigners and as linguistic, racial and ethnic minorities through the lens of Applied Linguistics. Through analysis of code-switching in qualitative ethnographic data collected in the spring of 2010, I show how multilingual practices illustrate these immigrants’ understandings of inclusion/exclusion and how these notions intersect with ideas about blackness. Therefore, this essay calls into question the static, exclusionary narrative on national identity and shows the ways in which the Senegalese community in Rome inserts formulations of blackness in the conversation. By comprehending how immigrants perceive their identities and the sites in which these identities are constructed, we gain a more multifaceted perspective on what it means to be Italian.
Diversity, Decolonization and Italian Studies, 2022
will be Open Access under the international licensing Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-... more will be Open Access under the international licensing Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND) with a two-year embargo on all articles. Issues and single articles under embargo will still be available respectively on subscription or for a fee.
Seventy-six-year-old Alvenia Bridges is someone who could be described as forever young. While sh... more Seventy-six-year-old Alvenia Bridges is someone who could be described as forever young. While she contends with typical signs of aging such as osteoporosis and arthritis, her daily meditative walks, diet of primarily salmon and avocados, and invigorating friendships contribute to her youthful demeanor. But a healthy lifestyle can only account for so much. Her captivating storytelling is what truly keeps her young. When she recounts her ability to move throughout the world in the heyday of her youth and when she describes how music allowed her to escape a violent beginning and discover her true purpose for existing, she transports both herself and her listener to another place and time. In doing so, age loses all meaning. Furthermore, her experience as a Black woman navigating the predominantly white and male-run world of Rock and Roll bears witness to the racial and gendered dynamics that exist in the music industry, highlighting how the past informs the present. By narrating an in...
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved Frenchspeaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of "making French an asset for new Americans," the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person's linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants' experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does the program address French as a heritage language that may be only one of many heritage languages a student possesses and that may only have a minimal presence as a home language? A second line of inquiry then focuses on individual participants' language ideologies. Given that many students come from former French colonies, what are their reasons for learning French? What are their attitudes toward French and other languages? What is their relationship with their countries of origin, with France, or with the greater Francophone world? Through these questions, this article charts multilingual identity formation, cultural exploration, and creative expression.
Senegal Abroad explores the fascinating role of language in national, transnational, postcolonial... more Senegal Abroad explores the fascinating role of language in national, transnational, postcolonial, racial, and migrant identities. Capturing the experiences of Senegalese in Paris, Rome, and New York, it depicts how they make sense of who they are-and how they t into their communities, countries, and the larger global Senegalese diaspora. Drawing on extensive interviews with a wide range of emigrants as well as people of Senegalese heritage, Maya Angela Smith contends that they shape their identity as they purposefully switch between languages and structure their discourse. https/:/uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5763.htm
In attempts to conceptualize identity formation in the French Caribbean, authors and literary sch... more In attempts to conceptualize identity formation in the French Caribbean, authors and literary scholars have championed different movements such as Negritude, Creoleness, and Creolization. However, these theorizations are not just within the purview of elite academic discourse or producers of literary works because 'everyday people' debate and reflect on these issues as well. In exploring the complexities of being a citizen of a French overseas department where Martinicans must confront French assimilationist practices that imagine France as a white, European, French-speaking nation above all else, this sociolinguistic, qualitative study advances discussions concerning language, citizenship, and inclusion in light of continued dissatisfaction with the racial politics associated with language practice both on the island and the mainland. In doing so, it provides a new understanding of how racial hierarchies are reproduced and/or contested in everyday language as well as in postcolonial theory and literature.
Just as the distinction between ‘French’ and ‘Francophone’ has implications in French literary st... more Just as the distinction between ‘French’ and ‘Francophone’ has implications in French literary studies, the boundaries that position certain groups as outsiders also exist in French society at large, where just because one speaks French, one is not necessarily a legitimate French speaker. For instance, while linguistic legislation in France stipulates that one must demonstrate a certain level of language proficiency in order to be granted citizenship as a means of fostering social integration, experiences of discrimination and exclusion evoked in interviews with 24 Senegalese immigrants and French citizens of Senegalese origin call into question the link between proficiency and acceptance. Through an applied linguistics perspective, this article demonstrates that linguistic competence is often determined by more than just the ability to use a language; it depends on the ability to prove cultural legitimacy, which is directly tied to understandings of race, nationality and language o...
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved French-speaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of “making French an asset for new Americans,” the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person’s linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants’ experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does...
SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to lang... more SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to language learning. However, presenting culture in the language classroom poses certain problems. For learners, there is a tendency to stereotype others and to rely excessively on the teacher. For teachers, there is a tendency to transmit isolated facts without elaboration and to associate a target language with a single monolithic culture. This article presents a pedagogical approach to culture that not only exposes students to networks of authentic texts but also motivates them to research for themselves the many subtleties of the target culture. By learning how to approach a network of texts, students gain deeper insight into the target culture and develop their ability to interpret texts that they will subsequently encounter on their own. This approach will be illustrated by a detailed lesson plan as well as an analysis of the responses of students who engaged with these materials in an advanced intermediate level French class. _______________ 1 Kramsch borrows Rosenblatt's (1978) terminology of aesthetic reading to describe "what happens during the actual reading event" (Kramsch, 1993, p. 123). She argues that "although they must decipher the images, or concepts, or assertions, that the words refer to, readers also have to pay attention to the associations feelings, attitudes, and ideas that these words and their referents arouse within them" (p. 123). Aesthetic reading creates spaces for students to reflect on how they feel when they read a certain passage as opposed to what facts they take away from it. 2 Appendix 3 presents an example of how the principles proposed in this article can help teachers create a wide range of lesson plans that are custom-tailored to students' levels and interests as well as to current events.
Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved F... more Since 2005, the French Heritage Language Program has sought to address the needs of underserved French-speaking communities throughout the United States. With the goal of " making French an asset for new Americans, " the majority of whom come from West Africa and Haiti, the FHLP not only provides free French language training, it also creates a space where these students can construct their identities as multilingual speakers and learn the value of their various cultural backgrounds. By analyzing data gathered from students, teachers, and staff in the New York City branch of the FHLP program, including sociolinguistic interviews, classroom observations, and surveys, this article explores identity formation with regard to not only French but to all languages in a person's linguistic repertoire. To contextualize the participants' experiences, a first line of inquiry examines the FHLP in relation to monolingual ideologies and policies often inherent in French language education. How does the program address French as a heritage language that may be only one of many heritage languages a student possesses and that may only have a minimal presence as a home language? A second line of inquiry then focuses on individual participants' language ideologies. Given that many students come from former French colonies, what are their reasons for learning French? What are their attitudes toward French and other languages? What is their relationship with their countries of origin, with France, or with the greater Francophone world? Through these questions, this article charts multilingual identity formation, cultural exploration, and creative expression.
SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to lang... more SLA research on foreign language pedagogy has long demonstrated that culture is essential to language learning. However, presenting culture in the language classroom poses certain problems. For learners, there is a tendency to stereotype others and to rely excessively on the teacher. For teachers, there is a tendency to transmit isolated facts without elaboration and to associate a target language with a single monolithic culture. This article presents a pedagogical approach to culture that not only exposes students to networks of authentic texts but also motivates them to research for themselves the many subtleties of the target culture. By learning how to approach a network of texts, students gain deeper insight into the target culture and develop their ability to interpret texts that they will subsequently encounter on their own. This approach will be illustrated by a detailed lesson plan as well as an analysis of the responses of students who engaged with these materials in an advanced intermediate level French class.
Just as the distinction between 'French' and 'Francophone' has implications in French literary st... more Just as the distinction between 'French' and 'Francophone' has implications in French literary studies, the boundaries that position certain groups as outsiders also exist in French society at large, where just because one speaks French, one is not necessarily a legitimate French speaker. For instance, while linguistic legislation in France stipulates that one must demonstrate a certain level of language proficiency in order to be granted citizenship as a means of fostering social integration, experiences of discrimination and exclusion evoked in interviews with 24 Senegalese immigrants and French citizens of Senegalese origin call into question the link between proficiency and acceptance. Through an applied linguistics perspective, this article demonstrates that linguistic competence is often determined by more than just the ability to use a language; it depends on the ability to prove cultural legitimacy, which is directly tied to understandings of race, nationality and language ownership.
While African immigrants and Italians of African descent have become more
visible in Italian soci... more While African immigrants and Italians of African descent have become more visible in Italian society since the 1980s, Italian culture and identity are still largely understood by majority white Italians in terms of race, nationhood, and family history. Overwhelmingly absent from these national discussions concerning the inclusion of immigrants, foreign residents, and so-called non-Italian citizens in society are the very people at the center of these debates. To give voice to some of these individuals, this article explores how a specific group, the Senegalese community in Rome, conceptualizes and understands identity formation as foreigners and as linguistic, racial and ethnic minorities through the lens of Applied Linguistics. Through analysis of code-switching in qualitative ethnographic data collected in the spring of 2010, I show how multilingual practices illustrate these immigrants’ understandings of inclusion/exclusion and how these notions intersect with ideas about blackness. Therefore, this essay calls into question the static, exclusionary narrative on national identity and shows the ways in which the Senegalese community in Rome inserts formulations of blackness in the conversation. By comprehending how immigrants perceive their identities and the sites in which these identities are constructed, we gain a more multifaceted perspective on what it means to be Italian.
Diversity, Decolonization and Italian Studies, 2022
will be Open Access under the international licensing Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-... more will be Open Access under the international licensing Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND) with a two-year embargo on all articles. Issues and single articles under embargo will still be available respectively on subscription or for a fee.
Uploads
Papers by Maya Smith
visible in Italian society since the 1980s, Italian culture and identity are still
largely understood by majority white Italians in terms of race, nationhood,
and family history. Overwhelmingly absent from these national discussions
concerning the inclusion of immigrants, foreign residents, and so-called
non-Italian citizens in society are the very people at the center of these
debates. To give voice to some of these individuals, this article explores how
a specific group, the Senegalese community in Rome, conceptualizes and
understands identity formation as foreigners and as linguistic, racial and
ethnic minorities through the lens of Applied Linguistics. Through analysis
of code-switching in qualitative ethnographic data collected in the spring
of 2010, I show how multilingual practices illustrate these immigrants’
understandings of inclusion/exclusion and how these notions intersect with
ideas about blackness. Therefore, this essay calls into question the static,
exclusionary narrative on national identity and shows the ways in which the
Senegalese community in Rome inserts formulations of blackness in the
conversation. By comprehending how immigrants perceive their identities
and the sites in which these identities are constructed, we gain a more
multifaceted perspective on what it means to be Italian.
Books by Maya Smith
visible in Italian society since the 1980s, Italian culture and identity are still
largely understood by majority white Italians in terms of race, nationhood,
and family history. Overwhelmingly absent from these national discussions
concerning the inclusion of immigrants, foreign residents, and so-called
non-Italian citizens in society are the very people at the center of these
debates. To give voice to some of these individuals, this article explores how
a specific group, the Senegalese community in Rome, conceptualizes and
understands identity formation as foreigners and as linguistic, racial and
ethnic minorities through the lens of Applied Linguistics. Through analysis
of code-switching in qualitative ethnographic data collected in the spring
of 2010, I show how multilingual practices illustrate these immigrants’
understandings of inclusion/exclusion and how these notions intersect with
ideas about blackness. Therefore, this essay calls into question the static,
exclusionary narrative on national identity and shows the ways in which the
Senegalese community in Rome inserts formulations of blackness in the
conversation. By comprehending how immigrants perceive their identities
and the sites in which these identities are constructed, we gain a more
multifaceted perspective on what it means to be Italian.