Citizenship, Character Education and ESL/EFL

1. Citizenship, Character Education and ESL/EFL Douglas Fleming PhD Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa Faculté d’éducation, Université d’Ottawa dfleming@uottawa.ca

2. jus sanguinis conceptions of citizenship (based on notions of tradition and duty); • jus soli conceptions of citizenship (based on notions of rights and responsibilities); • more recent debates centre on conceptions of citizenship as existing along a continuum of passivity or participation (Crick, 2007).

3. As Anderson (1983) the idea of a homogeneous and independent state is a recent concept. The fiction of the ethnically homogeneous state persists. Although most nations have a mixture of jus sanguinis and jus soli rights to citizenship (e.g. Canada), many countries still tend to seek to preserve (at least the myth) of cultural, national and ethnic homogeneity.

4. Many countries recognize jus sanguinis rights and privileges to those born outside of their borders. Many of these rights are based on religion, language or direct decent from someone considered native to the homeland. Citizens of Commonwealth countries with family origins in the UK are subject to only minimal barriers to obtaining British residency (except in the case of HK). Israel extends citizenship to anyone of the Jewish faith by either birth or conversion.

5. Three different types of roles: the personally responsible citizen; the participatory citizen; and the justice-oriented citizen. Justice-oriented citizens “critically assess social, political and economic structures and explore strategies for change that address root causes of problems” (Westheimer & Kahne, 2005, p.29).

6. “Character development is the deliberate effort to nurture attributes [that] provide a standard for behavior against which we hold ourselves accountable. They permeate all that happens in schools. They bind us together across the lines that often divide us in society. They form the basis of our relationships and of responsible citizenship. They are a foundation for excellence and equity in education, and for our vision of learning cultures and school communities that are respectful, safe, caring and inclusive.” Ontario Ministry of Education (2008, 12).

7. Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K–12 https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/literacy/booklet2008.pdf Guide to Character Education http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/literacy/bookletGuide2008.pdf

8. Conference Board of Canada (2000): personal management skills (honesty, adaptability and respect for diversity); Human Resources and Social Development Canada & Ontario’s Ministry of Education (2007): reliability, responsibility, integrity, initiative and respect.

9. OCDSB logo

10. ESL programming is designed to integrate newcomers into the social and economic life of the country and to take full advantage of high levels of immigration (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2006). • The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)(2000) is described by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2003) as the foundation for national ESL programming. • This elaborate task-based assessment document covers the full range of English proficiency with stand-alone descriptors related to linguistic, socio-cultural and strategic competencies.

11. references to citizenship are rare and vague; • the word "vote" does not appear; • rights and responsibilities related to being good consumers; • labor rights are nonexistent; • represents learners as isolated and passive: • “client, customer, patient and student” (p. 95), but not as workers, participants in community activities, or advocates.

12. What types of citizenship are dominant in the world today? What is character education? How would you define a good citizen? Do schools have a responsibility to teach citizenship? Do English teachers have a responsibility to teach citizenship? How can citizenship be incorporated into the English classroom?