Thomas Ricento talk at UPenn

[David Johnson]

Language and Literacy in Education Brownbag

Problems with the 'Language-as-resource' Discourse
In the Promotion of Heritage Languages in the U.S.A.

by Dr. Thomas Ricento

Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio
College of Education and Human Development
Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
12 noon – 1:30 pm, Room 203
Abstract:

In the United States, language 'rights' have been tethered to ethnic or
racial entitlements as a means to redress historical patterns of
discrimination and exclusion. The perception that language 'rights' are
about the redress of past wrongs has had negative effects on efforts to
gain broad public support for the teaching and maintenance of languages
other than English. The language-as-resource orientation (Ruiz 1984) is
considered as an alternative to a language rights approach. However,
analysis of texts produced by advocates of the heritage language movement
reveals the shortcomings of the language-as-resource metaphor in advancing
broad-based support for the teaching, maintenance, and use of minority
languages in the U.S. While efforts to promote heritage language education
as a national strategic priority may result in short term governmental
support, wider and more sustained popular support for such programs will
require significant modifications in the underlying values and ideologies
about the status and role of languages other than English in education and
public life.

Dr. Ricento's presentation will focus on issues raised in his article 
"Problems
with the 'Language-as-resource' Discourse in the Promotion of Heritage 
Languages
in the U.S.A.", which attendees are encouraged to read prior to the talk.

Thearticle is free to Penn students online through
the Journal of Sociolinguistics
and
Penn Text
.  Hard copies are also available in the Ethnography Forum Office
on the third floor of the GSE Building.

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