Current Representations of 1998–2002 "English-Only" Laws on Arizona/California/Massachusetts Department of Education Websites: A Critical Discourse Analysis

• In Event: 66.058 - Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: 66.058-11 - Promises and Perils of Alternative Education Policies and Bilingual Education Programs

Abstract

Restrictive language policies for education have been passed in several US states. In 1998, 2000, and 2002, California, Arizona, and Massachusetts passed the most restrictive of these policies, impacting 4.4 million students classified as English language learners. In this paper, we analyze how these policies are interpreted and presented to the public in 2016 on each state’s Department of Education website. Using tools from critical discourse analysis (CDA), we compare texts across time and place. In particular, we examine the language used to discuss three key elements of the laws: the mandating Structured English Immersion (SEI) programs, the parental waiver processes, and the one-year programmatic time limits. Textual differences are discussed as reflecting and perpetuating important contextual differences among states.

Authors

• Katie Bernstein, Arizona State University

• Evelyn C Baca, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Margarita Jimenez-Silva, University of California Davis