Equity/Social Justice, Instrumentalism/Neoliberalism: Dueling Discourses of Dual Language in Principals’ Talk About Their Programs

Abstract

This study explores how principals of dual language (DL) programs draw on two dominant societal discourses around language education—linguistic instrumentalism/neoliberalism and equity/social justice—to make sense of their programs. Through in‐depth interviews with 19 principals of Spanish‐English elementary school DL programs in Arizona and California, the researchers examine (1) the ways in which the two discourses manifested in the principals’ talk, and 2) the consequences for English learners of each discursive framing. The researchers found that framing a program within each discourse led principals to different conclusions about the purpose of DL, its goals, and who should be included in it. Principals adopting a predominantly neoliberal frame understood DL as a way to gain a competitive edge, both for their schools (competing with other schools for students) and for their students (competing for future jobs at a global scale). Principals drawing primarily on social justice discourse instead understood DL as a historically contingent, collaborative movement for social transformation. The authors illustrate how the first framing can contribute to the exclusion of English learners from DL, while the latter presupposes their belonging. They also discuss future work exploring how principals come to develop their discursive framings.

Una Búsqueda de la Equidad y la Justicia: District Leaders Attempt to Expand Dual Language Bilingual Education for Equity

“…As with most school programs, effective leadership in DLBE needs to focus on (1) advocacy and community; (2) program planning, coordination, and oversight; (3) professional development; and (4) allocation of funding (Howard et al, 2018). However, given the political nature of language education, the historical roots of bilingual education in the United States, as well as documented equity concerns in the field, a social justice focus and courageous leadership are required above all (Bernstein et al, forthcoming; Long et al, 2016; Menken, 2017). That is, it takes courage for leaders to unearth and point out perspectives that may be less popular, go against power structures, and challenge historical programming or thinking, as María tried to do when she sought out changes, in part due to Spanish-speaking families’ perspectives, experiences, and (lack of) access.…”

Toward Linguistically Responsive Leadership

“…These orientations are represented in the discourse of the data being collected, from the assimilationism discourse of language as a problem to the neoliberal discourse of language as a resource to the social justice discourse of language as a right (Bernstein et al, 2020). The discourses are on a spectrum with overlaps and blurred boundaries, often contradicting each other "as dueling discourses" (p. 658).…”

“…The shifts toward a language as a resource orientation in the state policy provides a relatively unexplored context through which to better understand how language education policy can be developed throughout the educational system. The over-emphasis of some language as a resource policies on multilingualism as an economic resource as opposed to a cultural, intellectual, social, citizenship, or human rights resource has been a common critique (Bernstein et al, 2020;de Jong et al, 2016;Ricento, 2005) and has been applied to the latest California language education policies as well (Aldana & Martinez, 2019;Katznelson & Bernstein, 2017). Nevertheless, these policies broadly open the doors to a multilingual turn where other forms of resources or funds of knowledge are embraced in California classrooms providing a marked difference from the language as problem policies of old (de Jong et al, 2019;Hopewell & Escamilla, 2015;López et al, 2020;May, 2013;Santos & Hopkins, 2020).…”

“…The critical discourse analysis of the macrolevel policy documents allows for the development of a model of discourse used to describe the orientations of leaders reflected in the policies along a spectrum of orientations. While the language as a right orientation is more commonly grounded in discourse of social justice and decoloniality, there are overlaps between each orientation and the continuum of coloniality to decoloniality (Bernstein et al, 2020). Coloniality of power asserts the right for dominance of one group over another (Quijano, 2000), providing agency for self-determination to some and withholding it from others (Díaz, 2016;Van Leeuwen, 2008).…”

“…The general continuum moves from language as a problem orientations reflected in discourse promoting coloniality to language as a right orientations reflected in discourse rejecting coloniality. Language as a resource orientations, reflecting a neoliberal, economically motivated approach to language policy (Bernstein et al, 2020;Katznelson & Bernstein, 2017), may either promote or reject coloniality.…”