Prof Kirti Kapur
NSTC Member, NCERT, Fulbright Fellow
Afilliation
Fulbright Fellow, Hawaii
Country
United States of America
Professional URL
SHORT BIO
Professor Kirti Kapur has 37 years of experience in English language teaching and learning, specializing in curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, and comparative research. She has published over 100 papers, trained international teachers, and received a Fulbright fellowship alongside prestigious IATEFL and TESOL awards for her educational contributions.
PRESENTATION TITLE
PRESENTATION TITLE
Multilingualism as Funds of Knowledge: Reimagining Language Learning
ABSTRACT
Evolving language learning contexts require re-examining multilingualism, often viewed as a challenge rather than a pedagogical resource. Drawing on "funds of knowledge" and "funds of knowledge and identity" frameworks, this paper argues that learners' linguistic repertoires constitute valuable cultural, cognitive, and social assets that enrich language acquisition and identity formation. Positioning multilingualism as funds of knowledge, the paper advocates for responsive, socially just approaches. Through examples from Indian classrooms, it explores the pedagogical potential of translanguaging and culturally responsive teaching, demonstrating how recognizing students' home languages fosters participation, confidence, academic achievement, and intercultural understanding, reimagining language education in multilingual societies.
ABSTRACT
PRESENTER INTERVIEW