Carlos de Cuba - Kingsborough CC
Ivana Espinet - Kingsborough Community College
Anna Maria La Franceschina - Kingsborough Community College
Jason Leggett - Kingsborough CC
Alexandria Mancini - Brooklyn Prep High School
Poppy Slocum - LaGuardia CC
Laura Spinu - Kingsborough Community College
In this workshop, we will examine linguistic discrimination in the classroom. Conscious or unconscious biases against speakers of “nonstandard” varieties of English are often reflected in our teaching practices, to the detriment of students. Do your syllabus or grading rubrics reference use of “standard English” or “appropriate grammar”? Have you ever deducted points of an assignment due to the presence of linguistic structures that are considered acceptable in a non-standard dialect? If so, what are the consequences for your students? Are there any alternatives? In this workshop, participants will learn about linguistic discrimination and identify ways to move away from approaches that unfairly penalize speakers of “nonstandard” varieties of English without sacrificing academic rigor. Instead, we recommend an asset-based approach which recognizes the value of all language varieties.