EDRL 477 How Do We Think About Language by Abigail DeNardin by Abigail DeNardin

Video Summary

abbydenardin — 2025-10-05 20:48:18 UTC

The video "Language Planning=Social Planning- 'Orientations in Language Planning' (Ruiz, 1984)" by Dr. Mike Mena, talks about the three different language orientations which are language as a problem, language as a right, and language as a resource. Language as a problem is believing that non-English speakers have some sort of handicap. Language problems were linked to being handicapped, in poverty, having a low educational achievement, or having little to no social mobility. Language as a right is the belief that a person's choice to speak a language other than English should be a right. At the time of the article in this video, it was the overall consensus for things like voting that there should be ballots provided in a person's preferred language or native language to ensure they can exercise their right to vote. Lastly, language as a resource is a proposed alternative to the language as a problem and language as a right orientations in which multiple languages should be seen as a resource to lessen the tensions between minority groups. The ways that languages can be used as a resource are not just in economics, but also in internal structures like codes and conventions as well as external structures like churches and schools.

My Field Experience

abbydenardin — 2025-10-05 21:03:47 UTC

In the school setting I am in this semester, I have mostly observed the orientation "Language as a Resource" in the classroom. One way I have observed this orientation is my cooperating teacher allows the students to talk with the student sitting next to them about the questions during lessons then lets a few students share what they talked about in relation to the questions. The last way I have observed this orientation is during math groups where EL students and non-EL students are placed in different stations together regardless of their English proficiency. I would say that this orientation is helping students because not only does almost every student in the class get to share their thoughts during class discussions, but they also get to use what English proficiency they have to practice their math skills in the groups they are placed in each day.

abbydenardin — 2025-10-05 21:15:03 UTC

The connection that this visual makes to "Language as a Resource" is that the different languages people speak should be thought of as a way to enhance societal structures instead of being seen as something that needs to be fixed or eradicated from society altogether. For example, if you are trying to convey something to parents who don't speak English, having a student who speaks the parents' native language would be helpful so the parents can understand what you are telling them. EL students have ways of helping schools with communication, and that is why I connected this visual to "Language as a Resource."

My Perspective

abbydenardin — 2025-10-05 21:32:46 UTC

As a future teacher, I feel that I mostly connect with the orientation "Language as a Resource." The reason I connect with this one the most is because it is my personal belief that although we can teach EL students English, a student's native language and knowledge of their native language can be helpful in the classroom and their future job opportunities. Many companies hire people who are bilingual since they sometimes work with customers who don't understand or speak English and need bilingual employees to either help that customer or translate what they are saying to the customer as well as what the customer is telling or asking them. I think one opportunity that can come from adopting this lens in my future classroom is I can learn different phrases I can use in my students' native languages not just for communicating with my students' parents but with other people I see outside of school. A final opportunity that can come from adopting this lens in my future classroom is I can gain an appreciation for the different strengths my students have in their native language and not just in their English proficiency. Overall, "Language as a Resource" is an orientation that will be helpful to me in my future classroom to appreciate the different skills my students bring to my classroom through their native languages.