Whiteness as the "Standard": Raciolinguistic Ideologies in Adult ESOL Over Time

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Fostering Equitable Language Learning

Abstract

I use raciolinguistic genealogy to trace the development of ‘Standard English’ as a construct and its relevance in adult ESOL. Analyzing archival documents, I show how language pedagogy and conceptions of ‘English’ have changed in response to major demographic shifts and consequential threats to established power structures, such as surges in immigration and the Great Migration. This analysis shows that throughout American history, ‘(Standard) English’ has been understood explicitly in contrast to racialized and immigrant communities, making it essential for mainstream success, but ultimately unattainable for those who cannot assimilate into whiteness. I argue that any English teaching that prioritizes racial justice must interrogate this history of linguistic racism and anti-Blackness, and shift away from a focus on ‘Standard English’.

Author

• Kelsey Swift, Graduate Center, City University of New York