Language Ideological Multiplicity and Tension within Dual Language Bilingual Education Teachers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs are critical sites for exploring language ideologies given the policy goals of student bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Drawing on a larger study of language ideological inquiry, this article used predominantly interview data to explore the articulated language ideological stances of teachers implementing a district-wide DLBE program in central Texas. The article builds from the assimilationist/pluralist distinction and contributes to an understanding of how language ideologies interact and are articulated at the individual level and reflect these broader societal discourses in multiple and contradictory ways. To disrupt the binary of ideological orientations I drew on the concept of a continuum to present and make sense of the educators’ ideological stances. Analysis revealed language ideologies articulated across three dimensions: language status, variation, and participation. Implications for DLBE policy and implementation are discussed including the need for ideological consistency and reflection at the program level.