The English you need to know: Language ideology in a citizenship classroom

“We teach in English here”: Conflict between language ideology and test accountability in an English-only newcomer school

“…Previous ethnographic studies on students whose first language is something other than English in U.S. schools have documented the various ways that this dominance and standardization of English can exhibit itself-particularly in classroom settings focused on English learning (Griswold, 2011;Handsfield & Crumpler, 2013). In some settings, students who are placed in classrooms and programs focused on English language acquisition are described in pejorative terms (e.g., disrespectful, incompetent, impaired) more often than students who speak English as a first language (Talmy, 2009).…”

Citizenship education in the United Kingdom and the adult migrant

“…Creating a bond between citizenship and nationality goes back to Aristotle, who stated that ‘[t]he citizens of a state should always be educated to suit the constitution of their state’ (Heater, 1999: 171). The reconstruction of the migrant’s identity in the new society is essential and enriches it and makes it more complex (Griswold, 2011: 618); identity reconstruction enables a deeper understanding of the host nation’s history, customs, culture and legal and political systems. Learning the language of a country is inextricably linked to accessing civil freedom and understanding its culture and society.…”

“…This may explain the persistence of the belief that citizenship and social integration are not possible without language proficiency in the host country; however, there is little empirical support for this (Etzioni, 2007). This idea persists because research on the discourse on citizenship suggests that language proficiency signifies one as legitimately belonging to a particular community, whether ethnic or national (Griswold, 2011: 407). This discourse, which purports to promote inclusivity and social integration, is in fact premised upon the fact that those speaking other than the dominant national language are perceived as being outsiders and not truly belonging to the nation (Blackledge, 2003; Bjornson, 2007).…”