Community language ideologies: Implications for language policy and practice

Abstract

Nebraska is increasingly becoming a linguistically and culturally diverse state. As a designated refugee resettlement state, Nebraska rural and urban communities harbor different world languages. With the current research showing the importance of home languages for educational success and the importance of multilingualism, this study seeks to discuss community language ideologies through data analysis of a sample of community members (N = 1584). The study uses survey methods and quantitative statistical analysis. The findings disclose that a dominant monolingual ideology is rooted among community members. Community members’ language ideologies varied by race and educational background. In addition, community members’ ideologies in language politics and intolerance to multilingualism predicted their views on language support for multilingual students. Implications for educators, families and other community members are discussed.