Conectando saberes e ações em cursos de inclusão, justiça social e sustentabilidade através do modelo DIVE

Abstract

Courses focused on diversity and inclusion, social justice, and sustainability are powerful tools in promoting linguistic development, cultural and intercultural competence, as well as cultural empathy and humility among language learners. Although the introduction of topics related to inclusion and justice in foreign language courses is not uncommon, developing relevant projects and tasks related to these subjects can be challenging for educators who aim to go beyond the simple exposition of issues, moving “from exploration to action” (Glynn et al. 2018). In this article, we show how we used the Social Justice Education approach (Hackman 2005; Nieto 2018) and a Global South disciplinary lens to develop an immersion program in Brazil, guiding learners to a deeper understanding of Brazil’s historical and contemporary struggles. We present how the DIVE model (Brewer & Cunningham 2010) was used to gradually guide Portuguese learners through the (D)escription, (I)nterpretation, (V)erification, and (E)xamination of the realities to which they were exposed. After briefly explaining how the curriculum was structured using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Brasil.UN.org), we provide examples of activities for each stage of the DIVE model and discuss how the model complements the curriculum and other program activities. Examples of activities and reflections from program participants will be shared. We conclude by reflecting on the program’s impact on students’ learning experience and the effectiveness of the DIVE model in curricula of this nature.