dr. Max Spotti

Bio

After a B.Ed. (HONS) in English Language and Education at the University of Oxford, I have obtained an MA in Applied Linguistics at Goldsmiths College, University of London. I have then read for a PhD in Sociolinguistic Ethnography at the Department of Language & Culture at Tilburg University, defended in 2007. 

After co-managing the Babylon Centre for the Study of Super-diversity at the same institution, I am now an Associate Professor in Digital Literacies and Ethnography at the Department of Culture Studies, School of Humanities and Digital Sciences.

My research interests focus on identity and school classrooms, linguistic landscaping, migrants and their processes of socio-cultural as well as sociolinguistic integration. Further, my work on the digitalisation of literacy skills has brought me to investigate the gains and losses of learning literature from printed books to software-based games. Next, I have a vivid interest in language policies and sociolinguist practices across the gl

Expertise

1) asylum-seeking practices and the politics of suspicion in power saturated environments both online and offline

2) Language policies and sociolinguistic grassroots practices across the globe

3) language, identity and super-diversity in regular and non-regular learning environments 

4) e-citizenship apprenticeship, e-inclusion/exclusion through CEFR-based frameworks for learning an L2

Teaching

I teach various research skills courses that range from ethnography to the use and the analysis of digital literacies. Further, I am part of the teaching team of the MA management of cultural diversity where I take care of teaching about language, migration and super-diversity in urban and non-urban environments.

Next to that, I have a small group of PhD students under my supervision whose work ranges from ethnographic linguistic landscapes, to language policies in the Dutch Caribbeans, to the investigation of blogs as a form of political activism in Bangladesh, to the construction of preaching leaderships identities in online Muslim communities in Indonesia.  

Courses

• RS: Using digital literacies
• Doing Research: Ethnography
• Digital Literacies
• RS: Anthropology and Fieldwork
• Cultural Identity and Diversity

Collaboration

http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/cms/nl/

http://www.mmg.mpg.de/departments/socio-cultural-diversity/

https://ecspm.org/who_we_are/our-mission/

https://taalunie.org/over-de-taalunie-/organisatie

https://www.nwo.nl/en/advisory-structure-nwo-domain-social-sciences-and-humanities

Highlights

Spotti, M., & Blommaert, J. (2023). Sociolinguistics and Superdiversity: Innovations and Challenges at the online-offline nexus. In S. Vertovec, F. Messner, & N. Sigona (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Superdiversity (pp. 107). Article 31 Oxford University Press.

Spotti, M., Swanenberg, J., & Blommaert, J. (2022). Language policies and the politics of language practices: Essays in honour of Sjaak Kroon. Springer International.

Aarts, R. (Author), Spotti, M. (Author), & Swanenberg, J. (Author). (2022). Lesmodule Superdiversiteit voor Kinderen. Web publication/site, Tilburg University. https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/nl/onderwijs/junior/junior-kennisbank/superdiversiteit

Spotti, M. (2018). "It's all about naming things right": The Paradox of Web Truths in the Belgian Asylum-Seeking Procedure. In: Gill, N. & A. Good (eds.) Asylum Determination in Europe - Ethnographic Perspectives. London: Palgrave, 69-90.

Garcia, O., Flores, N. & M. Spotti (2017) (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Language and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Recent publications

1. Religion, Nationalism, And ‘Western’ Hate - The Covid-19 Crisis Expla…

   de Ruiter, J. J., Spotti, M., & Vdovychenko, N. (2023). Religion, Nationalism, And ‘Western’ Hate: The Covid-19 Crisis Explained In Russian-Speaking And Arab-Islamic Regions. Rozenberg Quarterly, 1-8. https://rozenbergquarterly.com/religion-nationalism-and-western-hate-the-covid-19-crisis-explained-in-russian-speaking-and-arab-islamic-regions/

2. Sociolinguistics and Superdiversity - Innovations and Challenges at t…

   Spotti, M., & Blommaert, J. (2023). Sociolinguistics and Superdiversity: Innovations and Challenges at the online - offline nexus. In S. Vertovec, F. Messner, & N. Sigona (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Superdiversity (pp. 1). Article 31 Oxford University Press.

3. CoMMiTTEd - Covid, Migrants and Minorities in Teacher Education - A F…

   Silvia Melho Pfeiffer, & Spotti, M. (2023). CoMMiTTEd - Covid, Migrants and Minorities in Teacher Education: A Fake News Observatory to Promote Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy in Times of Crisis. E-handbook for teachers and teacher educators. (1 ed.).

4. Translingual Pedagogies in the Global South - Review of Classroom Pra…

   Yonas Asfaha, Spotti, M., & Khalid Idris (2023). Translingual Pedagogies in the Global South: Review of Classroom Practices and Interventions. In C. McKinney, P. Makoe, & V. Zavala (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003214908/routledge-handbook-multilingualism-carolyn-mckinney-virginia-zavala-pinky-makoe

5. Lesmodule Superdiversiteit voor Kinderen

   Aarts, R. (Author), Spotti, M. (Author), & Swanenberg, J. (Author). (2022). Lesmodule Superdiversiteit voor Kinderen. Web publication/site, Tilburg University. https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/nl/onderwijs/junior/junior-kennisbank/superdiversiteit