Ethnicity and Gender: A Double Whammy

Abstract

Certain views in the field of second language education remain largely assimilationist, in spite of current research suggesting other alternatives for the promotion of heritage languages in Canada (Cummins, 1985, 1993; Cummins and Danesi, 1990; Moodley, 1999; May, 2001). Gibson’s (1988) study focused on a Punjabi community and highlighted a ‘mismatch’ experienced for Punjabi students in an American school. The possibility of a better ‘match’ of school and home culture that would seem to be the case for Zara in her Canadian school could provide her with better access to language use because of a recognition of ethnicity within the room. This was the hope; but this was not the case.