Teaching English Language Variation in the Global Classroom

Resource for Self-Determination or Perpetuation of Linguistic Imposition: Effects of English Learner Classification Among Alaska Native Students*

“…The variety of English developed in communities where Athabaskan is spoken included patterns of omitting or adapting articles in ways that vary from Standard American English, patterns that may now be present in households whether Athabaskan is still spoken or not (C. Thompson, 1984). The varieties of English spoken by Indigenous students are whole, valid English varieties, not markers of language deficiency (Devereaux & Palmer, 2019;Leap, 2012).…”

“…Similarly, it may be heritage language revitalization, although the near absence of text on bilingual instruction in ESSA casts doubt on this focus. What is clear is that given their different linguistic assets, there is likely a need for differentiation between EL supports provided to those acquiring English as an additional language compared with those who speak English as their primary language (Devereaux & Palmer, 2019;Smith, 2016). Little is known, however, about how, if at all, education agencies differentiate EL services for Indigenous students generally, or Indigenous English-dominant students specifically (Villegas, 2020).…”

“…2. Standard American English refers to an English variety that is often associated with formal education contexts in the United States (Devereaux & Palmer, 2019). The positioning and defining of standardized language are deeply intertwined with race, as, Flores and Rosa (2015) describe that, "the ideological construction and value of standardized language practices are anchored in what we term raciolinguistic ideologies that conflate certain racialized bodies with linguistic deficiency unrelated to any objective linguistic practices.…”