Member-only story

Recentering Silenced Voices From The Global South: Critical Language And...

Gene Powell

·11.1k Followers· Follow

Published in Decolonising Multilingualism In Africa: Recentering Silenced Voices From The Global South (Critical Language And Literacy Studies 26)

7 min read

526 View Claps

29 Respond

Save

Listen

The field of critical language and literacy education has long been dominated by the perspectives and experiences of people from the Global North. This has led to a marginalization of the voices of people from the Global South, and has had a negative impact on the education of students from these regions.

Decolonising Multilingualism in Africa: Recentering Silenced Voices from the Global South (Critical Language and Literacy Studies 26)

Decolonising Multilingualism in Africa: Recentering Silenced Voices from the Global South (Critical Language and Literacy Studies Book 26)

by Finex Ndhlovu

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	927 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	209 pages

This article argues for the importance of recentering silenced voices from the Global South in critical language and literacy education. It begins by providing a brief overview of the history of critical language and literacy education, and then discusses the ways in which the dominant narratives in the field have marginalized the voices of people from the Global South.

The article then calls for a more inclusive and critical approach to language and literacy education that gives voice to the silenced voices from the Global South. This approach would draw on the experiences and perspectives of people from the Global South to develop more effective and equitable educational practices.

History of Critical Language and Literacy Education

Critical language and literacy education is a field of study that emerged in the 1970s in response to the growing awareness of the social and political dimensions of language and literacy. Critical language and literacy educators argue that language and literacy are not neutral tools, but rather are shaped by and reflect the power relations in society.

The early work in critical language and literacy education focused on the experiences of students from marginalized communities in the United States, such as African American students, Latino students, and Native American students. These educators argued that the dominant narratives in language and literacy education did not reflect the experiences of these students, and that this was having a negative impact on their education.

In the 1980s and 1990s, critical language and literacy education began to expand its focus to include the experiences of students from other parts of the world, including the Global South. This work was influenced by the growing field of postcolonial studies, which argued that the dominant narratives in Western education were Eurocentric and marginalized the experiences of people from colonized countries.

The Marginalization of Voices from the Global South

Despite the growing awareness of the importance of including the voices of people from the Global South in critical language and literacy education, the dominant narratives in the field have continued to be shaped by the experiences of people from the Global North.

This marginalization of voices from the Global South has had a number of negative consequences. First, it has led to a lack of understanding of the educational needs of students from these regions. Second, it has resulted in the development of educational practices that are not effective for students from the Global South.

For example, the dominant narratives in critical language and literacy education have often focused on the importance of teaching students to read and write in Standard English. However, for many students from the Global South, Standard English is not their first language, and they may not have access to quality instruction in this language.

As a result, these students may be penalized for not being able to read and write in Standard English, even though they may be proficient in their own language. This can lead to feelings of shame and inadequacy, and can discourage students from pursuing further education.

A More Inclusive and Critical Approach to Language and Literacy Education

In order to address the marginalization of voices from the Global South in critical language and literacy education, it is necessary to adopt a more inclusive and critical approach to the field.

This approach would draw on the experiences and perspectives of people from the Global South to develop more effective and equitable educational practices. It would also challenge the dominant narratives in the field and promote a more inclusive understanding of language and literacy.

There are a number of ways to incorporate a more inclusive and critical approach into language and literacy education. One way is to focus on the experiences of students from the Global South in the classroom.

This can be done by including texts from these regions in the curriculum, by inviting guest speakers from the Global South to talk to students, and by creating opportunities for students to learn about the cultures and languages of the Global South.

Another way to incorporate a more inclusive and critical approach is to challenge the dominant narratives in the field. This can be done by critically examining the assumptions that underlie these narratives and by providing alternative perspectives.

For example, the dominant narrative in critical language and literacy education has often focused on the importance of teaching students to read and write in Standard English. However, this assumption can be challenged by arguing that there are many different ways of reading and writing, and that Standard English is not the only legitimate form of language.

Recentering silenced voices from the Global South in critical language and literacy education is essential for creating a more inclusive and equitable field. By drawing on the experiences and perspectives of people from the Global South, we can develop more effective and equitable educational practices that meet the needs of all students.

It is also important to challenge the dominant narratives in the field and to promote a more inclusive understanding of language and literacy. By ng so, we can create a field that is more welcoming and supportive of all students, regardless of their background or experiences.

Decolonising Multilingualism in Africa: Recentering Silenced Voices from the Global South (Critical Language and Literacy Studies Book 26)

by Finex Ndhlovu

5 out of 5