This course considers how we as humans navigate through different spaces and languages. In the case of human migration, languages often come into contact, spurring linguistic diversity and changes to speech communities. While multilingual communities develop, multiple identities are constructed. Some societies resist this diversity; others embrace it. Decisions about policies, social justice and education come into play, affecting the migrants themselves and the societies into and through which they move. This course will address questions about language issues faced by first-generation migrants and their children, including how linguistic diversity affects access to employment, education and health care. A practical component of the course involves engaging directly with migrant communities. Two programs will be available to students enrolled in the course. One is working with students and teachers in a middle school located in an area of Grand Paris with a high proportion of immigrants. The other is a community engagement program with the Quartiers Solidaires, a group that organizes breakfast for migrants every morning from 8:30-9:30, along with other activities. By combining theoretical reflection, migrants’ narratives and practical experience, the course introduces students to key issues in migration, provides a framework for understanding and analysing these issues, and presents an opportunity to collaborate with others in identifying challenges related to migration and proposing solutions.
