Alumni Digest / U of T / Ideas /
A dictionary set Yecid Ortega's course
The OISE graduate's new book draws on teaching and research to question English dominance and centre knowledge from the Global South.
Yecid Ortega at his December 2025 book launch in OISE's Nexus Lounge.Photo: Sharmeen Somani
The context
Where the work begins
Yecid Ortega began learning English with a bilingual dictionary his mother gave him in Bogotá. He later trained as a teacher, worked in Chicago and founded iLanguage Kids in Canada. The children's Spanish program expanded into several languages, with a team of about 10 instructors.
The takeaway
What follows
At OISE, Ortega earned a master's degree in 2015 and a doctorate in 2021. His research connected language teaching with social justice and ethnography. His book, Pluriversal Applied Linguistics, challenges Eurocentric approaches and considers emotion, spirituality and lived experience in language learning. Launched in December 2025, it draws on years of teaching and collaboration across continents.
Source reporting
A dictionary set Yecid Ortega's course
Original summary by Alumni Digest, based on public source reporting. This independent publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Toronto. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.
