Normalizing Linguistic Variation

Normalizing Linguistic Variation

by Hector Huerta Figueroa -
Number of replies: 1

 

This week’s reading helped me understand that linguistic justice entails not just creating spaces for all linguistic practices, but normalizing them, or like Valente (2017) described it, mundane. Valente talked about the value of hybrid linguistic spaces to foster inclusivity. This reminded me of the term linguistic human rights in which everyone should feel welcome to use any aspect of their linguistic repertoire. What I loved about École Maternelle Gabriel Sajus is that all non deaf students were knowledgable on the best practices to communicate with deaf individuals. For example, they must face their bodies to everyone in the conversation and notice their hand movements. I was shocked by the statistics on deaf schools in France; at that time, only 4% of deaf French schools had LSF as the primary language and most relied on French and only learned LSF for 2 hours per week. From the Language Policy Project on Deaf Education, I learned the significance of  learning ESL and not just relying on mouth-reading. Valente and Gallo & Link (2015) both agree that playgrounds are a “lower-stakes setting” for bilingual language learning and safe spaces to discuss funds of knowledge.

Baker-Bell (2020) challenged the notion that Black Language is not a valid linguistic practice and highlighted the importance of Critical Language Awareness. She goes on to explain that even though Black English is not appreciated for its importance due to racsiolinguistic ideologies, it is still used in the media and by pop culture references without crediting or acknowledging where the word stems from. Last summer, I worked at a wilderness summer camp that valued the importance of discussing topics on race, gender, sexual orientation, and class. I have had discussions with youth about the history of Ebonics on our camping trips. We talked about the impact Ebonics has had on most of our speech and we should appreciate the linguistic complexeities of all. Many of them were surprised to hear where the words they used stemmed from. 

Phuong & Venegas (2022) stressed the significance of addressing the multiplicity of marginalized students to create more inclusive and just spaces. I agree that students with multiple intersecting identities will have completely different experiences than those with less. Sins Invalid (2021) aims for language accessibility and hopes to “flatten hierarchies” for marginalized individuals. Their goals tie to linguistic justice and awareness. In my field placement, Barrio Ed embodies many of the linguistic goals of Phoung & Venegas and Sins Invalid by making translanguaging and language accessibility normalized and.

In reply to Hector Huerta Figueroa

Re: Normalizing Linguistic Variation

by Hillary Tran -
Hi Hector!

I really like what you said about making linguistic practices feel ordinary rather than exceptional. Valente's point about mundanity shifted my thinking as well. When I watched how the classe LSF community operated, I kept coming back to the idea that inclusion only works when everyone participates in the communicative work, not just the student labeled "different." Your example about students turning their bodies and attending to signing reminded me that access often comes from very small, shared habits and not always grand plans.

I also appreciate how you connected this to Baker-Bell. When she writes about students realizing, "I always thought it was wrong," it echoes what you saw at camp: young people discovering the histories of the language they already use. That kind of critical language awareness feels like an entry point for justice work that is actually doable with kids.

Your mention of intersecting identities resonated with me as well. I've seen students who are both language-minoritized and labeled disabled experience lowered expectations in ways their peers don't. Phuong and Venegas helped me name that pattern more clearly. Your points also connect to Rosa and Flores' raciolinguistic perspective, which argues that students are judged through expectations shaped by whiteness rather than their actual linguistic competence. And Garcia's framing of emergent bilinguals reinforces students' full repertoires only flourish when the environment treats them as legitimate from the start, which is why translanguaging spaces matter.