Certificate in Diversity and Culture

 

This 25-hour online course prepares adult educators, instructors, and others teaching English language learners to recognize, understand and respond to the cultural, social and economic diversity present in adult learning environments. Participants examine how identity, culture, migration experience, race, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstances and other aspects of lived experience may influence language learning, classroom participation and interactions.

The course explores cultural humility, intercultural communication, implicit bias, privilege, anti-racism, anti-oppressive practice and inclusive approaches to teaching. Participants consider how assumptions, institutional practices and unequal power relationships can affect learners’ access, confidence, participation and sense of belonging.

Throughout the course, participants apply these concepts to English language teaching contexts. They develop strategies for selecting representative materials, facilitating respectful communication, responding to bias and discrimination, accommodating different learner needs and creating appropriately challenging learning environments. The course emphasizes working collaboratively with adult learners to establish learning environments in which diverse identities and experiences are respected, and all learners are supported in meeting their individual learning needs and goals.

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain how culture, identity and lived experiences influence adult language learning.
  • Apply culturally responsive practices to address stereotypes, learning barriers and learner needs.
  • Examine how bias, privilege, racism and power influence teaching and learning.
  • Apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices to address discrimination and promote equity.
  • Explain how cultural and linguistic differences influence communication and participation.
  • Apply intercultural communication strategies to prevent misunderstandings and support inclusive participation.
  • Create inclusive learning environments that respect diversity and support learner participation.
  • Design and evaluate inclusive instruction, materials and assessments to meet diverse learner needs.

Units

Unit 1: Culture, Identity and Adult Language Learning

This unit introduces culture and identity as complex and changing influences on adult language learning. Participants examine how learners’ experiences, communities, languages and social circumstances may shape their expectations, participation and goals.

Unit 2: Bias, Power, Anti-Racism and Equity

This unit examines how personal bias, privilege, discrimination and unequal power relationships may affect adult language education. Participants consider their professional responsibilities for identifying and reducing barriers to equitable participation.

Unit 3: Intercultural Communication in the Language Classroom

This unit examines how cultural, linguistic and social experiences influence the ways messages are expressed, interpreted and negotiated. Participants develop approaches for making communication expectations visible while expanding learners’ choices across educational, workplace and community contexts.

Unit 4: Creating Inclusive and Responsive TESL Environments

This unit translates diversity, equity and intercultural understanding into practical instructional decisions. Participants develop approaches that support belonging while maintaining meaningful and appropriately challenging language-learning goals.

How the course works:
Register here using the secure on-line registration form below. Once your registration has been confirmed by the College you will be sent a username and password by email to begin the course. You may work at your own pace from any computer with an Internet connection. The course is divided into topics and sections. There are four tests in this course. If at first, you do not succeed on any of the four tests you can try again until you pass and feel confident to go on to the next section.

Participants can start any time and go at their own pace.

Upon completion of a course, the certificate and a transcript will be emailed. A hard copy of the certificate mailed to you within Canada, can be purchased for $25.

This course is a great add-on to our TESOL Certificate or TESL Diploma programs!

How to Purchase and Register
Simple, safe, secure, using the “Add to Cart” button below. Please allow up to 48 hours for your course registration to be processed and for you to receive your username and password by email.
 
Tuition Fee: $300 CND