Navigating monolingual language ideologies: Educators’ “Yes, BUT” objections to linguistically sustaining pedagogies in the classroom

Abstract

Aims: We examine how educators articulate tensions between linguistic pluralism and linguistic normativity in written Linguistic Autobiographies through their metacommentary about student language and their role as educators. We specifically focus on “Yes, BUT” objections articulated by 17 participants that frame monolingualism and adherence to idealized forms of English as necessary, despite rhetorical nods to embracing linguistic diversity. Research questions: (1) How do participating educators construct “Yes, BUT” objections to linguistic pluralism in their written Linguistic Autobiographies? (2) What language ideologies inform these objections? (3) What ideological positions for educators are implicated? Design/methodology/approach: Collaborative emergent qualitative coding and inductive discourse analysis. Data and analysis: We analyzed Linguistic Autobiographies written by 50 educators taking an online master’s class in Sociolinguistics for Bilingual Educators and examined features of “Yes, BUT” objections and their ideological justification using collaborative, emergent coding and inductive discourse analysis. Findings/conclusions: We document how educators’ “Yes, BUT” objections illuminate discursive moves that justify the seeming embrace, yet ultimate rejection of, linguistic diversity. Originality: This study disentangles monolingual language ideologies to address objections inherent to educators’ “Yes, BUT” constructions that arise as common barriers in teacher education. We reframe these objections as emergent degrees of linguistic pluralism, which serve as evidence of the contextual difficulties educators often encounter in schools. We thus acknowledge rather than dismiss the tensions educators face in fostering linguistic pluralism. Significance/implications: This study illuminates how language ideologies shape (and possibly offer insights for undoing) complacency in what is often discussed as a long-standing tension between the seemingly mutually exclusive positions of linguistic pluralism and linguistic normativity. We argue that analyzing and addressing these “Yes, BUT” objections in educators’ narratives is key to the disruption of monolingual language ideologies in educational settings and beyond.