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Language, Identity, and Education in South Asia, by Chaise LaDousa and Christina Davis

September 29, 2020

4:30 pm

As schools around the United States think about how to best teach English language learners and parents explore a growing number of language immersion programs for their children, it is clear that the language of instruction and positive educational outcomes are inextricably linked. The same is true in South Asia. On September 29 at 4:30PM we will host Professors Christina Davis (Western Illinois University) and Chaise LaDousa (Hamilton College) for a virtual conversation on issues of language and education in South Asia.

Just like in the United States, many languages are spoken in the nations of South Asia. And just like in the United States, differences between languages spoken at home and at school can become a burden for some students and contribute to their problems in school. However, school systems rarely consider the ways that students themselves reflect on these dynamics.

We draw on interviews conducted at a prestigious institute of higher education in India to show how students relate language to their home life, transition to school, and future career ambitions. Students talk about links between language and social identity through the concept of “mother tongue” – literally, the tongue of one’s mother to whom one has an absolute bond. They note that the languages they speak at home rarely correspond to the standardized language varieties found in school materials. Higher education offers students unique challenges as it exposes them to environments where they must exhibit varieties with which they are not entirely comfortable. We focus on the dynamics of linguistic alienation in our interviews. By alienation, we mean the profoundly unsettled quality that emerges from students’ reflections on the place of languages in their lives.

By taking seriously students’ own reflections on language and identity, teachers and administrators might better understand what challenges their students face as they seek educational opportunities.

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

South Asia Program