Students' Rights to Their Own Language

Students' rights to their own language

Birth of "Students' Rights to Their Own Language.

Students' rights to their own language is a topic of conversation in the field of education and academia. This idea was conceptualized by the Conference on College Composition and Communication ( CCCC) in 1974. The CCCC released a position statement surrounding the idea of the Student’s Rights to Their Own Language. The purpose of the statement is to announce their goal of challenging the Standard American Dialect/ English. Their statement aims to draw attention to what they argue to be unjust and racist about the Standard American Dialect. For example, the CCCC claims that the goal of Standard American Dialect is for one social group to dominate the other.  The CCCC also claims that it is the duty of teachers and educators to respect diversity and help students uphold rights to their own language. The CCCC’s website organizes their position statements by what themes in which each statement fits. Students’ Rights Their Own Language falls under the “Statements on Social and Linguistic and Antiracist Pedagogies” theme.

Supporting arguments of "Students' Rights to Their Own Language

The CCCC has expanded this idea through the introduction of another idea surrounding academics in language, which is the idea of White Language Supremacy ( WLS).The introduction of the idea of White Language supremacy is an argument or supporting idea as to why students deserve rights to their own language. WLS as an argument also affirms their point that Standard American Dialect/ English was inherently racist, which was brought up in the 1974 position statement. The CCCC wrote another position statement on this topic. The CCCC’s argument focuses on the normalized White Language Supremacy. The statement then goes on to say that WLS is a tool for white supremacy as it defines and evaluates ideas, writing, rhetoric, and pedagogies. The definitions of these things can be harmful and predatory to students.

Asao B. Inoue CCCC chair in 2019 reflected and expanded on both student’s right to their own language and white language supremacy. In Inoue's speech as CCCC chair he touches on a few points that contribute to the conversation about students' rights to their own language. One main argument was that educational racism has been powered by white supremacy and its manifestation in language and education. He claims that what argues to be normalized white supremacy has put students of color in a cage and has not allowed them to succeed and flourish in academia, as their language is not considered to be proper.

In June 2021, The CCCC created a position statement that reflected on the teacher duties from the 1974 position statement entitled, "This Ain’t Another Statement! This is a DEMAND for Black Linguistic Justice!" This state is written in African American Vernacular English and includes a list of demands that teachers must abide by. This includes; 1. Teachers must stop perpetuating the idea that academic language should be the communicative norm. 2. Teachers must stop encouraging code-switching and teach about white language supremacy. 3. Teachers must create a safe environment for politics, and activism in the classroom. 4. Teachers must develop Black Linguistic Consciousness in order to decolonize their mind and classroom. 5. Black dispositions are centered in the research and teaching of Black Language! This statement expands the role of the teacher from the 1974 position statement, it shows how teachers can make a difference in the fight for Black Linguistic Justice while also attempting to shame teachers who were not already fighting.