Marc Xu visits Turtle Island Walk during his first trip to the University of Windsor in early 2024 (photo courtesy of Marc Xu)
By Kate Hargreaves
When Marc Zhichang Xu visited Windsor for the first time in early 2024, he found his time at the University to be “impressive and inspirational.”
“I was particularly inspired by the Indigenous Spirit on the Turtle Island Walk on the campus,” he says, referencing the Seven Grandfather Teachings represented along the route.
Having since published on the topic of Indigenizing knowledge, Dr. Xu will return to the University of Windsor in early November for two talks in the Faculty of Education.
An associate professor in the BA in Linguistics and English Language program and the Master of Applied Linguistics (MAppLing) program at Australia’s Monash University, Xu’s research explores the changing nature and uses of Englishes around the world.
He describes his upcoming visit to Windsor as an enactment of the Seven Teachings, “a continuing journey of pursuing the Truth through international interdisciplinary reciprocal learning for sustainability and for contributing to knowledge of the globalization and nativization of English and environmental humanities.”
In his first talk, Exploring English as an International Language and World Englishes, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Chrysler Hall North, Rm. 2173, Xu will discuss both the globalization and nativization of English, including his personal and professional journeys with English as an international language and research on Chinese English from a World Englishes perspective.
The second talk, Indigenizing Knowledge of ‘Land’ and ‘Seasons’: A Cultural Linguistics Perspective, takes place Wednesday, Nov. 5 from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Leonard and Dorthy Neal Education Building, Rm. 1123. Xu will apply a cultural linguistics lens to explore the way ‘Land’ and ‘Seasons’ are conceptualized in both Australian Aboriginal English and Chinese English.
Xu’s current research project, “Indigenizing Knowledge: Incorporating Multicultural Indigenous Perspectives into Action Research and Reciprocal Teaching and Learning,” funded by the Faculty of Arts at Monash University, draws from his ongoing research into the globalization and nativization of English and aims to create international collaborations around “Indigenizing knowledge for a sustainable world through environmental humanities.”
Xu’s visit, co-sponsored by UWindsor professor Shijing Xu’s Canada Research Chair program in reciprocal learning, is part of a proposal for a Discovery Project via the Australian Research Council.
“The aim of the visit is to enhance academic, research and education exchange, to co-develop research projects, to engage in reciprocal teaching and learning, and to conduct fieldwork of Indigenous and sustainable studies,” Marc Xu explains.
In addition to the two guest lectures, Marc Xu’s time in Windsor will also incorporate visits to Turtle Island Indigenous Student Services and to Walpole Island.
He will also participate in an informal book club event, Conversation with Dr. Marc Zhichang Xu, Friday, Nov. 7 in Chrysler Hall North, Rm. G111. This event is part of Reading Together, an ongoing drop-in book club organized by Dr. Shijing Xu’s graduate research team each Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
While the two formal talks both take place as part of classes in the Faculty of Education (Tuesday during Chenkai Chi’s graduate course Theories and Approaches in Language Acquisition and Instruction and Wednesday in Dr. Chi's pre-service course Interdisciplinary Education for Sustainability), all are welcome to attend.
For more information on Dr. Marc Xu’s research, visit his profile on the Monash University website.
For details on Dr. Shijing Xu’s Canada Research Chair program in international and intercultural reciprocal learning in education, visit her profile on the UWindsor Faculty of Education website.