In English and science alike, every student and teacher brings his or her own language patterns to class. But how can educators make sure that language bias doesn't harm student achievement?
An article by Anne Charity Hudley and Christine Mallinson in The Conversation about how linguistics can be used to make classrooms more inclusive. Excerpt:
Studies have found that at all levels of education, instructors often favor students who sound like themselves and can be biased against those who don’t. Educators might form negative assumptions about a student’s intelligence and ability based simply on how he or she talks, which can result in lowered expectations, stereotyping and discrimination. Teachers sometimes also send messages, whether consciously or unconsciously, that a student’s language is wrong, dumb or out of place at school.
For instance, consider what one mother told us about an interaction she witnessed in her son’s first grade classroom. One of the boys, who is African-American, was playing a game and realized he didn’t have the materials he needed. He raised his hand and said to the teacher, “I don’t got no dice.” His teacher immediately responded, “Joshua, we speak English in this class!” The mother was appalled and felt that this experience could discourage Joshua from speaking up at school.
When students absorb and internalize such messages, they can experience what linguist William Labov called “linguistic insecurity” – feelings of anxiety and apprehension that can take root even at an early age.
These negative experiences with language and communication in the classroom can have a direct impact on students’ academic achievement. As early as kindergarten, students who come to school speaking in similar ways as their teachers are more likely to get ahead, whereas those who speak differently are more likely to fall behind. These language-based educational inequalities disproportionately affect African-American students and other students of color, English language learners and students who come from a social class or regional background that is different from that of their teacher.
As Joshua’s mother said to us, “There must be a better way to respond.” [...]
Good teaching relies on effective communication, whether it’s in English class, biology class or any subject in between. The words that teachers and students use, their meanings and their intentions are central to classroom interactions and dynamics. Ensuring that students, peers and teachers from diverse backgrounds understand and communicate respectfully with each other is often just as important as helping students understand the material in their textbooks.
Language matters – not just for fostering mutual respect, but for making sure that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed.
As one high school algebra teacher who participated in our study pointed out:
“Spending time showing students how their language is respected, and allowing them to have the skills to analyze different ways of speaking and writing, creates a classroom where we celebrate what we can each bring to our learning environment.”
Simply put, she said, “It’s worth our time.”
Read the whole thing.
