I’m(migrant) Canadian: Renegotiating a “Canadian” National Imaginary in English as a Second Language (ESL) Classrooms

Abstract

What does being “Canadian” mean to racialized students learning an additional language? What happens when such students do not fit in with dominant, idealized notions of being a Canadian? Drawing on Norton’s and Anderson’s concept of imagined communities, this article posits that Canada is an imagined nation. In responding to the two questions, I summarize the relevant literature and share some key personal and lived experiences in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) students. To conclude, I suggest that in light of the significant demographic changes that negotiating and reconstructing the “Canadian” identity, is a learning process in which all societal members must participate in equitable ways.