Linguistic and cultural diversity have always characterized human societies and have usually played a central role in mediating power relations between dominant and subordinate groups. In recent years, theorists working within the framework of Critical Pedagogy have begun to describe how societal power relations are manifested in schools both through interpersonal interactions and the hidden curriculum. In particular, theory has focused on how language use and language learning interact with dimensions such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender in mediating power relations within the educational system. The course will focus on this body of theory and research and explore its applications to current educational issues related to minority students in both Canadian and international contexts.