Language ideology and pedagogy: Cry for help

[Lutfi Hussein]

Hi,

Two important scholars have published in the area of language ideology and
pedagogy: Alastair Pennycook (author of "The Cultural Politics of English as
an International Language," Longman, 1994); and Norman Fairclough (author of
the following books:
    1.. Language and Power (Language in Social Life Series)
    Addison-Wesley Pub Co; ISBN: 0582009766

    2.. Discourse and Social Change
    Polity Pr; ISBN: 0745612180

    3.. Critical Discourse Analysis : The Critical Study of Language
(Language in Social Life Series) co-author Clive Holes
    Addison-Wesley Pub Co; ISBN: 0582219809

    4.. Media Discourse
    Edward Arnold; ISBN: 0340588896

    5.. Critical Language Awareness (Real Language Series) (Editor)
    ASIN: 0582064678 )
I hope this proves useful.

Best,
Lutfi
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Mark A Peterson <peterson at AUCEGYPT.EDU>
    To: DISCOURS at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
<DISCOURS at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
    Date: Sunday, March 26, 2000 1:17 PM
    Subject: Language ideology and pedagogy: Cry for help


    Here is a query for all you teachers of foreign language:

    My Arabic tutor is a graduate student in the American University in
Cairo Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language program.

    She wants to do her MA thesis on the relationship of language ideology
to pedagogical style. That is, she is assuming that people’s understandings
about Arabic affect (or at least may predict) the speed and quality of their
learning of Arabic.

    Her thesis advisor is apparently not sure that this is a legitimate
project, nor that it will reveal anything worthwhile. Nonetheless, her own
experiences teaching Arabic to foreigners in England, the US and Egypt, and
to members of the Arab diaspora in England and the US for whom Arabic is a
second language, have convinced her that language ideology frames practices
of pedagogy.

    I may end up as outside reader on her thesis committee, even though this
is a bit outside my expertise, if only to try to convince other members that
the concept is plausible. At any rate, I am looking for two things:

        1.. literature on this subject, that is, the relation of language
ideology to pedagogy; and
        2.. teachers of Arabic anywhere in the world who would be willing to
administer a short survey of attitudes to their students as part of such a
project.
    Any suggestions or recommendations as to how to measure language
ideology in an appropriate way toward this end or other advice appreciated.
My expertise (such as it is) is in semiotics and the ethnography of
communication and although I’ve done a bit of work with language ideology
(in India) I’m feeling a bit out of my depth here.



    Mark Allen Peterson
    Asst. Professor of Anthropology
    The American University in Cairo
    PO Box 2511, Cairo 11511 EGYPT
    peterson at aucegypt.edu

    "Laughter overcomes fear, for it knows no inhibitions, no limitations.
Its idiom is never used by violence and authority."
              -- Mikhail Bakhtin
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