“Language ideologies, policies and prejudice in England’s education system.”
Dr Ian Cushing (Brunel University London)
This talk presents findings from an ongoing research project, Doing and Living Language Policy in Schools, in which I critically explore how standard language ideologies manifest themselves across language policy mechanisms and layers: from government-produced curricula and tests through to classroom practices and pedagogies. Drawing on data such as policy documents, teacher interviews and linguistic landscapes, it shows how these policies can come to reinforce hierarchical notions of linguistic ‘correctness’ in schools, and how teachers and students can become victims of language-based prejudice and discrimination. Although based on a single project, it represents the aims and principles of the BAAL LKALE SiG in raising awareness about current issues within educational linguistics through situated work carried out in schools, and the ultimate aim of informing educational policy.
Linguistics and Knowledge about Language in Education 