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Invited Speakers: AILA-ASEAN Symposium
Prof. Dr. Shameem Rafik-Galea
Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics (MAAL)
SEGi University, Malaysia
Professor Dr. Shameem Rafik-Galea is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at SEGi University, Malaysia. She is presently the President of the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics (MAAL). Shameem retired as a Professor from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2017. She received her B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Southern Illinois at Carbondale (SIUC), USA an M.A. in TEFL also from SIUC and a PhD in Applied Linguistics & TESOL from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Shameem has researched widely and presented papers internationally in the area of English Language teaching and teacher education, English in the Workplace & Health Communication. Her other interests are in the area of Sociolinguistics and Discourse studies. She has vast experience supervising Master’s and PhD students in her area of interests and expertise and is an active researcher. She is currently working on a research on Language in Health Literacy. She continuous to publish her work and to mentor early career researchers.
Exploring Translanguaging in Malaysian ELT Classrooms as an Approach Towards Equity and Inclusion
Translanguaging is a pedagogical approach that recognizes and values bilingual and or multilingual students' use of multiple languages. It is a known fact that teachers use language for a multitude of purposes in their classrooms and most often than not they are engaged in translanguaging. Thus, translanguaging practices sends the message that all languages are valuable and respected when used by teachers. It is believed that all students, regardless of their linguistic background, will be able to benefit from a more inclusive learning environment. Creating a more inclusive environment provides students with the confidence needed to learn a language in this case English. Malaysia is a multilingual country and the three main languages spoken are Malay, Chinese and Tamil apart from the indigenous languages. Over 130 languages is spoken by its population. In Malaysian schools, the diversity of languages presents both challenges and opportunities for English language teaching (ELT). In this presentation I will share specific examples of how translanguaging is used to support equity and inclusion in the Malaysian ELT classrooms.