Building Linguistic Justice: Toward Antiracist Grammar Pedagogies With Preservice English Teachers

• In Event: Voices Carry: Building and Cultivating Spaces of Resistance

Abstract

What role can the English teachers of tomorrow play in building an equitable and antiracist pedagogy of language education? The presentation chronicles the arc of one semester, from the rejuvenation of the course syllabus, to students’ explorations of the dynamic tension of spoken and “academic English” they are to adopt as teachers (Kinloch, 2010), and their aspirations towards antiracist language education in their future classrooms. As educators in dialogue about our own positionalities and privileges, we hope to share the voices of these future teachers to imagine classrooms that can center and sustain linguistic diversity. The presentation concludes with specific implications drawn from findings for teacher educators and pre-service teachers on steps to build toward linguistic justice in grammar pedagogy.

Authors

• Patrick Sitzer, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Scott Jarvie, San Jose State University