Valuing Language Difference and Promoting Critical Language Awareness in English Classrooms and CULTIVATING �CRITICAL LANGUAGE AWARENESS �IN THE WRITING (AND READING) CLASSROOM

Dr. Shawna Shapiro - Middlebury College

NE CCCC - July 2021�

sshapiro@middlebury.edu

http://sites.middlebury.edu/shapiro

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Intros

Who are you and what kind of teaching/work do you do?�

How familiar are you with CLA?� (1= never heard of it; 10= I am a CLA master!!!

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What’s one of your favorite words/phrases in English or another language?

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WHERE I’M COMING FROM

• Dual background in TESOL/linguistics and writing/composition

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• Teach college writing courses with linguistics topics, but also K-12 and teacher ed

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• Love to get students EXCITED and CURIOUS about language �
• Committed to social justice

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• Forthcoming book: Cultivating Critical Language Awareness in the Writing Classroom (Routledge)

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sshapiro@middlebury.edu

http://sites.middlebury.edu/shapiro

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MY APPROACH

• Acknowledge and carry forward what we know from other approaches and best practices

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• Recognize and build on what writing teachers already know and do

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• Offer theory, framing, application, and opportunities for reflection (i.e., CRITICAL PRAXIS)

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STRUCTURE FOR THIS SESSION

1. Definition and rationale for CLA Pedagogy --especially right now!!!�
2. Goals and best practices for this approach�
3. Sampling of topics, readings/media, activities, and assignments�
4. Breakouts �
5. Debrief and Q&A-- and an invitation to continue the conversation!

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WHAT IS �CRITICAL LANGUAGE AWARENESS (CLA)?

• Deep learning about language, identity, power, and privilege�
• Using language as a bridge into talking about social and cultural issues�
• Promoting students’ rhetorical agency as language users

-Using AND critiquing linguistic norms and academic standards

� (e.g., Alim, 2005; Clark & Ivanic, 1999; Fairclough, 1992; Gere et al., 2021; Janks, 2010; Shapiro, forthcoming)

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WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF CLA PEDAGOGY?

• Critical/emancipatory literacy education (e.g., Freire, 1970)�
• Critical linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis (e.g., Fairclough, Pennycook, Wodak)�
• Curricular collaborations between UK linguists and literacy scholars, part of the “Knowledge about Language” movement, aiming to serve an increasingly diverse group of learners�

*Want to learn more? Read Carter’s account �of the “Language in the National Curriculum” �project in the 1980s/early 1990s

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WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES TO WRITING STUDIES TODAY?

• Politicization of English/writing curricula
• “Literacy crises” �
• Commitment to valuing diversity, promoting equity, and resisting oppression�
• Renewed interest in language difference (e.g., SRTOL, translingual/translanguaging)�
• Questions about what to do about academic norms and linguistic standards (e.g., NCTE/CCCC statement on Black Linguistic Justice)�

How can we offer writing instruction that is �both progressive and pragmatic in its treatment of language?

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WHAT GOALS ARE AT THE HEART OF CLA?

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CLA AS SOCIAL JUSTICE PEDAGOGY

Language as a lens�for studying identity, culture, and power

Language as a bridge into discussions of privilege & prejudice

Language as a tool �for oppression and empowerment

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CLA PEDAGOGY AND ANTI-RACISM

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1. What are some topics or assignments you already use that sound like they are in line with CLA?�
2. What are some ways that you already attend closely and critically to language in your writing classes?�
3. What questions are coming up for you thus far?

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Ready????

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Principles for CLA Pedagogy

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• Which of these principles already inform your writing classes/curricula?�
• Which do you want to �integrate more fully?�
• Are any confusing to you?

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READY FOR A TASTE???

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THE SOCIOLINGUISTICS PATHWAY

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Source: University of Sheffield, UK

TOPIC: LINGUISTIC ATTITUDES AND PREJUDICES

�Reflection Questions (for writing, discussion, etc.):

1. Which accents in English do you most enjoy listening to? Why? Are there accents or speech styles you find irritating or unappealing? Why?�
2. What might others assume about you based on how you speak? �(i.e., What does your speech “index” about you?)�
3. What assumptions have you made about others based �on how they speak? �
4. Have you ever felt that you needed to change how you �speak in order to be successful in school or at work?

Concepts: indexicality, linguistic profiling, “marked” versus “unmarked” �

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1. Can you think of a character from media or literature whose idiolect is “marked” (e.g., someone who speaks “in dialect”)?�
2. When have you experienced linguistic insecurity about your speaking or writing?�
3. What might you say to a student who was making fun of the speech of someone else (a classmate, teacher, public figure, etc.)?

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Readings/media on linguistic prejudice

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INSTRUCTIONS (pairs):

Speaker: Describe your teaching philosophy in 1-2 min�(e.g., as in a job interview)�BUT

Use only 1 or 2 syllable words.

Monitor: Make an “error” noise if you hear any “inappropriate” words

�*Then switch roles if you have time- I’ll give 1 min warning

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5 min activity: “A taste of linguistic insecurity”

(adapted from my colleague Dr. Tara Affolter �in Education Studies)�************************************************************

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How was it????

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ASSIGNMENT 1.1

Variety of English Project:

Research-based report �and/or presentation

�Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Cockney, Queen’s English (RP), Estuary English, New Zealander, �Jamaican, Hawaiian (and other creoles), Boston Brahman, Appalachian,

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Chinglish*, Singlish, Franglais, Denglish, Rusglish, Spanglish �English for Specific Purposes (e.g. aviation, hip hop), and many more!!

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Focus on:�✔History/Demographics (e.g., colonization, political ) �✔Linguistic features (phonology, lexicon, syntax)�✔Attitudes (prestige, stigma)�

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ASSIGNMENT 1.2

Critical Media Analysis: �Thesis-driven essay focused on linguistic stereotypes

�Literature: Alvarez’s How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. (*Also Huck Finn, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hate U Give, and others in published case studies!)

Animated films: Aladdin (1992), Despicable Me 2 (2013), Lady and the Tramp (1955), The Lion King (1994), Planes (2013), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Zootopia (2016).

Other films: GoldenEye (1995), Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Legally Blonde (2001), Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), Princess Bride (1987). �

Television shows: Dora the Explorer, Hannah Montana, Modern Family, Phineas and Ferb, The Simpsons, That 70s Show, The Fairly OddParents.

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Questions? �

Other ideas or resources to share?

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THE CRITICAL ACADEMIC LITERACIES PATHWAY

Academic disciplines as linguistic communities

Academic texts as cultural artifacts

�Plurilingualism in the academy

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UNIT: GRAMMAR CONCEPTS AND CONTROVERSIES

Discussion Questions (for individual, pair, or group work):

• What emotions or images come up for you when you hear the word “grammar”?�
• Where (online or in-person) do you hear/see people talking about “bad” grammar?�
• What are your grammatical “pet peeves”—i.e., mistakes or rules that really annoy you?�
• How does your own use of grammar rules change depending on �the kind of writing you’re doing? (e.g., texting vs. creative writing �vs. academic writing)

� Concepts: prescriptivism/descriptivism, standardization, � rhetorical grammar �

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Activity 2: “Take a Stand”

1. I am bothered by grammar or punctuation errors on public signs and advertisements.
2. I spend a lot of time proofreading emails to teachers (or employers, coaches, etc.).
3. I would have trouble trusting someone whose emails often have grammar errors.
4. I would not want to date someone whose online profile has grammar errors or typos.
5. I am less likely to take a public figure seriously if their writing has many typos or grammar errors.
6. If I were an employer, I would not hire someone who had errors or typos in their cover letter.
7. If I were a teacher, I would take points off for grammar errors, even if those errors don’t hinder meaning (e.g., who vs. whom, comma splice, etc.)

NOTE: We can repeat the activity at the end of the unit/course!

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After they hear each statement, students position themselves along a continuum, with strong agreement on one side and strong disagreement on the other.

Readings on prescriptivism �and rhetorical grammar

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ASSIGNMENT 2.1

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Analysis of Grammar Memes

ASSIGNMENT 2.2

Position Paper (after debate/role play)

1. Should college admissions officers take students’ grammar (in application materials) into account when deciding whether to admit them? (officer, student, parent, professor)

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2. Is it ethical/appropriate to reject an applicant (or fire an employee) based on grammar errors or typos � in their writing? (employer, employee, HR or diversity officer)

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3. Is it ethical/appropriate to reject a potential roommate/tenant because of their use of grammar � (e.g., in emails)? (landlord, tenant, lawyer or other authority)

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4. Is fair to reject a potential friend (or romantic partner) based on their use of grammar?� (Truss; Cameron or Curzan)

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5. Is technology use causing a “decline” in students’ knowledge/use of prescriptivist grammar? � (Truss. Curzan; see also the “technology” section of Ball & Loewe [2017])

6. What kinds of language are appropriate to restrict or ban in the classroom? (psychologist, student, teacher, parent).

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• When and how do you talk about grammar in your classes?�
• What is one text or assignment for which you promote a rhetorical view of grammar? �
• When is prescriptivism toward language harmful?

When is it necessary/helpful?

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Topic: Plurilingualism in the Academy (and beyond)

Concepts: nativespeakerism, raciolinguistic bias, shared communicative burden, code mixing/code-meshing

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Readings/Media:

• Autobiographical writing (e.g., Rodriguez, 1982; Shen, 1989; Smitherman, 1986; �Tan, 1990; Young, 2007)�
• Public/Multimedia: OSU’s “Writing Across Borders;�GMU’s “Valuing Written Accents”; �NCTE/CCCC statements --e.g., Black Linguistic Justice��
• Research Studies: e.g., Rubin (1992) in Lippi-Green (2012)� “accent hallucination”???9io�“93

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“Writing Beyond the Classroom”

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excerpt from Roni’s poem “La Guerra” :

Do you [Rodriguez] miss what was once your family? What sort of life connects the boy to the man?�A life of struggle and perseverance�“La memoria del corazón Elimina los malos recuerdos”

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I ask you one last question:� Did you become Richard or are you still Ricardo?

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CLA AND ACADEMIC READING

• Engaging context
• Purpose, previewing and predicting
• Who, What, Where, When, Why?
• Text as “cultural artifact”
• Genre analysis and “remediation”�
• Noticing authors’ linguistic choices�
• Focusing on the big picture�
• Tolerating confusion/ambiguity
• Don’t highlight/look up every word you don’t know!
• Aiming for synthesis- e.g., my 3-2-1 strategy: � Come away with, at minimum
• 3 concepts or central arguments
• 2 connections (to self, to other texts, to world)
• 1 question or point of confusion

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Questions? �

Other ideas or resources to share?

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THE MEDIA/DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PATHWAY

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ASSIGNMENT SEQUENCE

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Students teaching students about critical media literacy

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1. What are you already doing in your classes that is in line with CLA Pedagogy? Does it fit within any of the pathways? Sociolinguistics, Critical Academic Literacies, �Media/Discourse Analysis, Communicating-Across-Difference�
2. What is something new you might try (topic, text, activity, assignment)?�
3. What questions or concerns are coming up for you?

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If time: �What does CLA suggest for feedback/assessment?

1. Focus on quality over quantity of feedback
• Timeliness matters more than thoroughness
2. Emphasize choice over “voice”
3. Teach (and grade) grammar rhetorically.
• Focus on clarity and effectiveness rather than correctness.
• Set grammatical priorities related to the assignment.
4. Remember that feedback ≠ grading. (e.g., Inoue, 2015; Blum, 2020)
5. Remember the power of our words (next slide)

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THE POWER OF OUR WORDS �TO STUDENTS!!!

CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE?

• Online resources
• Wikipedia page for CLA not bad!
• PBS’s Do You Speak American?: http://pbs.org/speak/
• Older (1988) PBS documentary- American Tongues (on Youtube)�
• Community/higher ed partnerships (and additional resources):
• UCSB’s “SKILLS” project: http://www.skills.ucsb.edu/
• NCSU’s Language and Life Project: https://languageandlife.org/ �
• A few of my favorite CLA scholars: Alim (2005); Baker-Bell (2020); Clark & Ivanic (1999); Devereaux & Palmer (2019); Fairclough [Ed.] (1992); A. Godley, J. Reaser, H. Janks, M. Metz, C. Wallace, …and so many more!!!�

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PLEASE BE IN TOUCH!!!

Email me (or post in comments below) for:

• Feedback/questions
• Further readings on CLA (eventually an annotated bibliography!)
• More presentations/conversations

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Stay tuned for more, including:

• Forthcoming book:� Cultivating Critical Language Awareness in the Writing Classroom (Routledge)
• Online Hub!
• Be one of my “beta testers”??? ad/or Contribute materials to the hub?

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THANK YOU!!!

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sshapiro@middlebury.edu

http://sites.middlebury.edu/shapiro

(see References next slide)

REFERENCES

• Alim, H. S. (2005). Critical Language Awareness in the United States: Revisiting issues and revising pedagogies in a resegregated society. Educational Researcher, 34(7), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X034007024
• Baker-Bell. (2020). Baker-Bell, A. (2020). Linguistic Justice: Black Language, literacy, identity, and pedagogy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315147383
• Clark, R., & Ivanic, R. (1999). Editorial: Raising Critical Awareness of Language: A Curriculum Aim for the New Millennium. Language Awareness, 8(2), 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658419908667118
• Devereaux, M. D., & Palmer, C. C. (Eds). (2019). Teaching Language Variation in the Classroom: Strategies and Models from Teachers and Linguists. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429486678
• Fairclough, N. (Ed.). (1992). Critical Language Awareness. Routledge (reprinted in 2014). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315845661
• Gere, A. R., Curzan, A., Hammond, J. W., Hughes, S., Li, R., Moos, A., ... & Zanders, C. J. (2021). Communal Justicing: Writing Assessment, Disciplinary Infrastructure, and the Case for Critical Language Awareness. College Composition and Communication, 72(3), 384-412.
• Godley, A. J., Reaser, J., & Moore, K. G. (2015). Pre-service English Language Arts teachers’ development of Critical Language Awareness for teaching. Linguistics and Education, 32, 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2015.03.015
• Janks, H. (2010. Literacy and power. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/1554480X.2012.657780.
• Metz, M. (2018a). Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Critical Language Awareness: The Importance of Valuing Student Knowledge. Urban Education, 0042085918756714. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085918756714
• Wallace, C. (1999). Critical Language Awareness: Key principles for a course in critical reading. Language Awareness, 8(2), 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658419908667121

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