The Effect of White Master Narratives Around Language on Education
Session Title
Schools and Education
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
English
Abstract
White master narratives around language have negatively impacted society and the education system for decades. To begin this discussion, I outline what master narratives are and explain their connection to education, specifically to Social Studies and English Language Arts. In regard to Social Studies, I examine how topics concerning diversity in the history of language are often excluded. Connected to this, history topics regarding diverse figures are altered to fit into this white narrative around language. In English Language Arts, I examined how students are taught grammar and engaged verbally with the language. Concluding with counternarratives that can be implemented to help change the current teaching of language in schools, I offer two wholistic counternarratives that can lead to a variety of strategies. In Social Studies, I propose teaching the accurate historical background of language and history as a whole. This would allow for a variety of student-centered strategies that encourage a deeper understanding of history and language. In English, I propose teaching from a descriptive viewpoint which will open students' minds to the wide variety of language surrounding them. One strategy suggested is changing the definition of code switching to a universal code, thus encouraging students to be aware of how all language works. By implementing this updated meaning of code-switching, along with the other suggested strategies, we enable students to become critical thinkers of language and the world.
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
The Effect of White Master Narratives Around Language on Education
White master narratives around language have negatively impacted society and the education system for decades. To begin this discussion, I outline what master narratives are and explain their connection to education, specifically to Social Studies and English Language Arts. In regard to Social Studies, I examine how topics concerning diversity in the history of language are often excluded. Connected to this, history topics regarding diverse figures are altered to fit into this white narrative around language. In English Language Arts, I examined how students are taught grammar and engaged verbally with the language. Concluding with counternarratives that can be implemented to help change the current teaching of language in schools, I offer two wholistic counternarratives that can lead to a variety of strategies. In Social Studies, I propose teaching the accurate historical background of language and history as a whole. This would allow for a variety of student-centered strategies that encourage a deeper understanding of history and language. In English, I propose teaching from a descriptive viewpoint which will open students' minds to the wide variety of language surrounding them. One strategy suggested is changing the definition of code switching to a universal code, thus encouraging students to be aware of how all language works. By implementing this updated meaning of code-switching, along with the other suggested strategies, we enable students to become critical thinkers of language and the world.
