Where Do You Anchor Your Beliefs? An Invitation to Interrogate Dominant Ideologies of Language and Languaging in Speech-Language Pathology

Abstract

Purpose: Ideologies are like rocks onto which individuals and institutions anchor their thoughts about what it means to be an “ideal language user” and what “standardized languaging” is. These deeply ingrained beliefs, influenced by colonial legacies and sociopolitical contexts, invisibly enforce a hierarchical order between people and their access to rights and privilege within societies. They inferiorize, marginalize, racialize, and nullify students and their families. The purposes of this tutorial are to reflect upon common dominant ideologies about language and languaging that are present in definitions, practices, and materials used in school-based settings by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and to offer an invitation to interrupt the practices that are birthed from upholding these beliefs and are dehumanizing to children and families living at the intersections of marginalization. To illustrate how these beliefs about language are enacted in the field of speech-language pathology, a selection of materials and approaches are presented and related to their ideological roots while implementing a critical stance. Conclusions: Ideologies uphold idealized versions of “normality” and constructions of “deviance.” Left unexamined, these beliefs remain encoded in traditionally considered scientific categories, policies, approaches, and materials. Critical reflexivity and action are key in the process of up-anchoring and shifting perspectives for ourselves and our institutions. The hope is that, through this tutorial, SLPs can increase their critical consciousness while envisioning how to interrupt oppressive dominant ideologies and, therefore, conceive of a future path that advocates for liberated languaging.