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The difficulty in communicating what is meant by the word "dialogue" is one that faces all those who use language. The word "dialogue" itself clearly carries with it notions of exchange, a verbal intercourse of thought. It also suggests balance and hints at a discursive to and fro among speakers. Consequently, the "dialogistic" suggests a student's taking part in a dialogue, or multiple dialogues, among students and teachers; it also suggests taking turns, constructing a delicate balancing act in a classroom where power relations remain unequal. The word "dialogue" is, as well, related to the word "dialect"; it hints at one's manner of speaking and implies the specificity of language carried through to the level of the individual--one's "idiolect." This article discusses the manner in which dialogue manifests itself as a problem within the context of the classroom. How will student and professor negotiate these institutionalized sets of power relations during their precarious balancing act? Once engaged in the performance of dialogue, how can those in the classroom also engage themselves in the act of balancing, or alternatively, displacing, other sets of power relations? (Contains 1 endnote.)

Aboriginal communities in Canada are typically marginalized, have very low employment participation rates, and have limited economic infrastructure. The downturn in global economies further marginalized these communities. The University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC) Continuing Studies department piloted an Aboriginal and Small Business Leadership Certificate program in the central interior of British Columbia (BC) between November 2008 and May 2009. The aim of the program was to address some of the issues faced by Aboriginal communities affected by the mountain pine beetle infestation in central BC. The success of the pilot project led UNBC Continuing Studies to collaborate with some communities in the central interior of BC to access funds through the federal government's Community Adjustment Funds initiative in order to develop and deliver a business capacity building project. The project consisted of a certificate program with enhanced Aboriginal content and an internship program to provide workplace experience for students. This paper reports on the practice of community engagement and learning as a result of this project. (Contains 2 endnotes.)