Comments on: ‘Investing in language:’ Why do we think about language education the way we do?

By: Agnes

Agnes — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 02:17:15 +0000

Hi Aubrey
I think you have pointed out the answer really nicely: becoming conscious of these mindsets is key. I like your reflection on how your identity may be influenced by a narrowed-down concept of language learning. I wonder which language you chose in the end…? 🙂 …and on what basis was Spanish deemed to be less useful than French – prestige perhaps?

By: Vianna

Vianna — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 11:48:58 +0000

Hello Dr. Agnes! Your post and findings resonated with my personal experiences with language learning. As you’ve shared, our opinions on language education are influenced by the people around us and the social environment they create. I come from the Philippines, a multilingual country where our only official languages are Filipino and English despite having many other languages. I am most comfortable using English, however, this came at the cost of my low proficiency in Filipino. Many of my educators and family members insisted that it was okay that I primarily spoke in English. They constantly framed it as an “edge” against others once I began work, or my “fluency” would lead to better future opportunities. Despite this positive enforcement of my predicament, these metaphors have affected how I viewed language for a very long time. The mentality that every facet of ourselves must be useful one way or another to the economy or to attain opportunities has affected the way I viewed the other unique languages my country has. I felt “stunted” in my growth as an aspiring bilingual child, now a monolingual adult in college. However, I had made it my mission to reeducate myself from my environment’s consequences, and this post has ignited my goal to keep learning.

By: Aubrey

Aubrey — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 03:01:37 +0000

Hi Dr. Agnes! I find your post truly eye-opening and thought-provoking. It reminds me of the hidden curriculum concept we recently discussed in our intercultural communication class with Dr. Tenedero because, in my experience, the more job-ready a student is, the better student they are. I remember telling a family friend that I wanted to learn Spanish, but I was asked where I would even use it and that I should learn French instead if I wanted more job opportunities. However, I just wanted to learn Spanish because I thought it would be fun. As a student, I struggle to find inspiration when the primary motivation for getting an education is to have marketable skills. Although having skills that can make money is good, that can’t be what life is all about, right? The languages we speak are such a huge part of our identity, and it is truly concerning that this intrinsic part of us may only be viewed as necessary based on how profitable it is. I think it would be interesting to know how we can unlearn this capitalistic mindset and business metaphor approach to language learning and education in general so that learners can focus on learning and not earning.

By: Who is a real refugee? | Language on the Move

Who is a real refugee? | Language on the Move — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 01:23:33 +0000

[…] in people’s heads. On Language on the Move, we have discussed the effects of metaphors here and here. In her recent article in the Austrian newspaper Kurier, Ruth Wodak explains that certain […]