Language revitalisation from the ground up in Mexico (by Dr. Josep Cru)

Josep Cru holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of Barcelona and an MA in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of California at Berkeley. From 2001 to 2007, he worked for Linguapax, an international NGO based in Barcelona which promotes language diversity worldwide. Since 2007, he has taught Spanish, Catalan and Sociolinguistics at Newcastle University in the UK. In 2013, he finished a PhD thesis on language ideologies and revitalization in Yucatan, Mexico. His publications can be found here and his profile, here. 

Digital Literacy Practices among Immigrant Seniors (by Mehdi Babaei)

“I learned how to use technology only after the age of 55. My experience of using technology was limited to texting through my mobile phone. The late time of immigration to Canada made me feel detached from my family and friends in my home country. So I began to learn how to use technology and digital devices to remain in touch with them in an easier and faster way… also, since I felt isolated in the new country, I found Internet as a tool to help me find new friends…”

FaceTime reveals the need for real time. (by Sumanthra Govender)

Like many people today, I have become accustomed to using a variety of technologies to stay in touch with my family and friends. Phone calls, emails, and text messages have made staying connected easy. However, my family and I prefer to use FaceTime over these other forms of communicative technologies because as we chat we get to see each other. This potentially allows us to have a more intimate encounter with each others’ whereabouts and daily grinds. I have utilised FaceTime’s services countless times to stay in touch with my parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews in Alberta, Ireland , and the US. It has become our default means of weekly communication.

Refugees and Second Language Learning: Examining the Refugee Gap (by Zhonghui Zhang)

We are very pleased to welcome Zhonghui Zhang as this week’s guest blogger. Zhonghui is currently doing his Master’s degree in Second Language Education at McGill. This is not his first graduate degree, however. Over a decade ago, Zhonghui completed a Master’s in Philosophy with the highest distinctions from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. At that time, he was the Vice-President of the Chinese General Hospital in Manila. For 6 years prior to starting his graduate degree at McGill, Zhonghui was the Principal of the Montreal Chinese School and President of the Montreal Chinese Community Center Board of Directors.