Whose "Wheelhouse"? Governing (and Avoiding) Teacher Language Policy Interpretation

• In Event: Deconstructing and Problematizing in the Education of Emergent Bilinguals

Abstract

Recent research highlights the role of teachers as policy interpreters, yet few studies explore how teachers are prepared to approach language policy interpretation. This article explores how policy interpretation is addressed in a statewide teacher training initiative for working with bilingual learners across the state of Massachusetts. Analysis of interviews with teacher educators demonstrate how some instructors prioritized language policy interpretation in their teacher training, while others engaged in complex discursive moves by which to avoid the topic. Applying the theoretical lens of governmentality, this study illustrates how teacher educators engaged in a process of self-censorship around the topic of language policy. These findings bring into question the degree of support teachers are given to act as language policy interpreters.

Author

• Chris K. Chang-Bacon, University of Virginia