My name is Roma Chumak-Horbatsch. I am "Professoressa Emerita" in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in Toronto, Canada. I have a background in applied linguistics, bi/multilingualism and language and literacy development. My research focuses on multilingual teaching, the "go to" pedagogy for language-rich classrooms that is gaining in momentum and popularity worldwide.
Over the years I have worked as a classroom teacher, an educational consultant, a professor, a professional development leader and speaker, a field placement supervisor and a mentor for students (graduate and undergraduate) and teachers. I have also collaborated with settlement workers, speech and language pathologists, families and community leaders.
Visiting schools and childcare centres has always been an important, and enjoyable part of my agenda. Never wanting to lose touch with "real" children, I regularly visit classrooms and centres. This is where my real learning happens. As I engage with children, I observe, listen and come to better understand the language-rich teaching and learning dynamic.
All of the resources found on this website are research-based and field-tested. Used by teachers worldwide, they help transform classrooms into multilingual and multi-literate environments. They provide challenge and rich tasks that tap into learners' prior knowledge and their linguistic and literacy skills. They bring newcomers into the curriculum, encourage them to connect with classmates, help them learn the school language in meaningful contexts and give them a sense of purpose and belonging.
I have also shared my work at international, national and local conferences, meetings and workshops. At these meetings, I listen to stories from the field and get a clearer picture of the reality and diversity of teaching and learning in language-rich contexts.
