In a tribute ceremony held during the ACELF’s 78th annual conference in Markham, Ontario, Dalley was celebrated “for her contributions to defining and shaping the ACELF’s model of identity construction.” The association added that “her scientific rigour and deep humanity make her an esteemed member of the educational community.”
Dalley is a sociolinguist best known for her scholarship on identity construction, resilience and inclusion in Francophone minority settings (read Dalley’s conversation with the ACELF - francosphère about language and resilience — article in French). For more than three decades, she has centred her work on advancing equitable, inclusive French-language education for all.
Diversity, inclusion and ‘being’ Francophone
In an interview on Radio-Canada’s Le café show, Dalley discussed her ACELF honour and how the landscape of Francophone minority education in Canada has evolved over the past 25 years. She described how the notion of inclusion in minority settings has moved past questions of French-language varieties to include broader aspects of diversity within student populations.
“In today’s Francophonie, and I would say this applies in communities and in schools, questions are being asked about whether you can be both Francophone and gay, be both Francophone and Black. So, is the language still an identity marker in the same ways as it was in the past?” Dalley asks.
“The ACELF is currently revisiting the very notion of identity construction and how it unfolds in schools. I would say that at this point, it’s both a challenge and an opening. It’s a challenge because any change is difficult. To say that we’ll change or question what it means to be Francophone in Alberta, in Acadia or in Iqaluit, it’s difficult for people who have been there a long time. It’s also difficult for people who have long felt excluded by the definition of what it means to be Francophone."
"At the same time, this questioning … brings us into postmodernity. It leads us toward greater openness, more flexible boundaries and discussions that are truly important for everyone who identifies or wishes to identify as Francophone,” she says.
“I share this ACELF honour with my colleagues, students and French-speaking communities who have shared this social project with me, whether through their research, their writings, their actions or our dialogues.”
Phyllis Dalley
— Full professor, Faculty of Education
Activism and leadership for inclusion
"As a professor and researcher, I have always considered myself a grassroots activist, constantly striving to promote inclusion, particularly in terms of language, gender and race, within the French-speaking school system in Canada's predominantly English-speaking provinces and territories. For me, the ACELF distinction is a recognition of my work in the field, where I stir things up and allow myself to be stirred up in the name of inclusion," Dalley explains.
"I share this ACELF honour with my colleagues, students and French-speaking communities who have shared this social project with me, whether through their research, their writings, their actions or our dialogues. They have inspired me, even pushed me, to continually broaden my efforts in support of inclusion and to address sensitive issues at the University and in my interactions with school staff," she adds.
Congratulations
"Professor Phyllis Dalley's nomination as an Honorary Member of the Canadian Association of French-Language Education is a point of pride for our Faculty. This distinction aligns perfectly with the major pillars of our strategic plan, particularly with respect to the Francophonie and equity, diversity and inclusion," says Francis Bangou, Dean of the Faculty of Education.
"This honour recognizes Professor Dalley's innovative work on inclusion in minority communities and diversity in its broadest sense, affirming her status as a leading authority in the field," he adds.
About Phyllis Dalley
Phyllis Dalley is a full professor in the Faculty of Education. She is the founder and director of the research group Les Chantiers d’actions et de recherche pour des Ffrancophonies inclusives (CARFfI). She has also been a member of the editorial board for the journal Éducation et francophonie since 2016. She received the Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015.
