Examining Teachers’ Raciolinguistic Ideologies in the SHL Classroom

Document Type

Paper Presentation

Presenter Language

Spanish

Research Area

Spanish in the US, Applied Linguistics

Location

MBSC Omaha Room 304

Start Date

18-10-2024 3:00 PM

End Date

18-10-2024 3:30 PM

Abstract

As Latinx enrollment in US university Spanish-language courses continues to rise (Beaudrie & Marrero-Rivera, 2024), numerous studies detail the transformative potential of SHL pedagogy for US Latinxs as an educational experience (e.g., Holguín Mendoza, 2018; Leeman, 2005). Recent progress has been driven by the study of language ideologies as a critical area of inquiry to reckon with the disparities that US Latinxs face within SHL education (Loza & Beaudrie, 2022). Such disparities are predicated on dominant raciolinguistic ideologies that often impose idealized language varieties and identities on Latinx youth (Barillas Chón, 2022). Although critical materials, curriculum, and pedagogical approaches have flourished, research focused on the SHL classroom remains scarce, particularly in relation to teacher development (Carreira & Kagan, 2018). As an under examined area within the field, there is a pressing need to develop stronger teacher preparation models for teachers who deliver language or content instruction to heritage learners – especially given that traditional and prescriptive pedagogy grounded in dominant ideologies continues to influence how language teachers approach SHL education (Beaudrie & Loza, 2023).

This presentation aims to critically examine case studies from our collective research wherein teachers and SHL learners discuss representations of Us versus Them to denote their membership to ideological groups and, in turn, to denote dominated groups of speakers (van Dijk, 2016). Our discussion describes teachers’ essentialized views of their students’ language varieties and identities, and how this has led to instances of the students’ multifaceted and dynamic identities being erased in the SHL classroom. We argue that this erasure is based on raciolinguistic ideologies about who SHL learners are and assumptions about who they are not. We propose points of consideration for SHL teacher preparation that specifically address these issues and how they come into play in the classroom.

References:

Barillas Chón, D. W. (2022). K’iche’, Mam, and Nahua Migrant Youth Navigating Colonial Codes of Power. Urban Education 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859211073902

Beaudrie, S. M. & Loza, S. (2023). Heritage Language Program Direction: Research into Practice. Routledge.

Beaudrie, S. M., & Marrero-Rivera, A. (2024). Research on university-based Spanish heritage language programs in the United States: The state of affairs in 2022. Foreign Language Annals, 57, 10–26.

Carreira, M., & Kagan, O. (2018). Heritage language education: A proposal for the next 50 years. Foreign Language Annals, 51(1), 152-168. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12331

Holguín Mendoza, C. (2018). Critical language awareness (CLA) for Spanish heritage language programs: Implementing a complete curriculum. International Multilingual Research Journal, 12, 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2017.1401445

Leeman, J. (2005). Engaging critical pedagogy: Spanish for native speakers. Foreign Language Annals, 38(1), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2005.tb02451.x

Loza, S., & Beaudrie, S. M. (Eds.). (2022). Heritage language teaching: Critical language awareness perspectives for research and pedagogy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148227

van Dijk, (2016). Critical discourse studies: A sociocognitive approach. In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Studies (pp.62-85). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.

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Oct 18th, 3:00 PM Oct 18th, 3:30 PM

Examining Teachers’ Raciolinguistic Ideologies in the SHL Classroom

MBSC Omaha Room 304

As Latinx enrollment in US university Spanish-language courses continues to rise (Beaudrie & Marrero-Rivera, 2024), numerous studies detail the transformative potential of SHL pedagogy for US Latinxs as an educational experience (e.g., Holguín Mendoza, 2018; Leeman, 2005). Recent progress has been driven by the study of language ideologies as a critical area of inquiry to reckon with the disparities that US Latinxs face within SHL education (Loza & Beaudrie, 2022). Such disparities are predicated on dominant raciolinguistic ideologies that often impose idealized language varieties and identities on Latinx youth (Barillas Chón, 2022). Although critical materials, curriculum, and pedagogical approaches have flourished, research focused on the SHL classroom remains scarce, particularly in relation to teacher development (Carreira & Kagan, 2018). As an under examined area within the field, there is a pressing need to develop stronger teacher preparation models for teachers who deliver language or content instruction to heritage learners – especially given that traditional and prescriptive pedagogy grounded in dominant ideologies continues to influence how language teachers approach SHL education (Beaudrie & Loza, 2023).

This presentation aims to critically examine case studies from our collective research wherein teachers and SHL learners discuss representations of Us versus Them to denote their membership to ideological groups and, in turn, to denote dominated groups of speakers (van Dijk, 2016). Our discussion describes teachers’ essentialized views of their students’ language varieties and identities, and how this has led to instances of the students’ multifaceted and dynamic identities being erased in the SHL classroom. We argue that this erasure is based on raciolinguistic ideologies about who SHL learners are and assumptions about who they are not. We propose points of consideration for SHL teacher preparation that specifically address these issues and how they come into play in the classroom.

References:

Barillas Chón, D. W. (2022). K’iche’, Mam, and Nahua Migrant Youth Navigating Colonial Codes of Power. Urban Education 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859211073902

Beaudrie, S. M. & Loza, S. (2023). Heritage Language Program Direction: Research into Practice. Routledge.

Beaudrie, S. M., & Marrero-Rivera, A. (2024). Research on university-based Spanish heritage language programs in the United States: The state of affairs in 2022. Foreign Language Annals, 57, 10–26.

Carreira, M., & Kagan, O. (2018). Heritage language education: A proposal for the next 50 years. Foreign Language Annals, 51(1), 152-168. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12331

Holguín Mendoza, C. (2018). Critical language awareness (CLA) for Spanish heritage language programs: Implementing a complete curriculum. International Multilingual Research Journal, 12, 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2017.1401445

Leeman, J. (2005). Engaging critical pedagogy: Spanish for native speakers. Foreign Language Annals, 38(1), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2005.tb02451.x

Loza, S., & Beaudrie, S. M. (Eds.). (2022). Heritage language teaching: Critical language awareness perspectives for research and pedagogy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148227

van Dijk, (2016). Critical discourse studies: A sociocognitive approach. In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Studies (pp.62-85). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.