Linguistic (Il)legitimacy and Survivance: Alaska Native Teacher Candidates’ Experience of College and Teacher Education

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Multilingualism and Cultural Identity in Preservice Teacher Education (Table 10)

Abstract

The present study seeks to understand how the complex linguistic repertoires of 14 rural Alaska Native teacher candidates (TCs) frame their experience of college and teacher education. Using a constructivist grounded theory, we reviewed 14 essays reflecting on personal language use. We find that the monolingual ideology of K-12 schooling is carried into college, leading these TCs to question their legitimacy as scholars and community members. In parallel, these TCs display resistance by acknowledging and celebrating their use of local ways of speaking and being. We argue that teacher education programs should foster such linguistic survivance by encouraging candidates to question monoglossic ideologies and celebrate linguistic diversity.

Authors

• Eve Ryan, University of Alaska - Fairbanks

• Patrick E. Marlow, University of Alaska - Fairbanks