Shelf by Thora Mortensen

Summary of the video

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:06:31 UTC

In the video Dr. Mena started by saying how language planning is social planning because when we talk about language you are also talking about people.

Everyone has an orientation or disposition on how you will approach language and, in a situation, where language is being taught.

In the video he talked about "language as a problem orientation" and for this he said that we shouldn't view language as a problem since with that we think it needs a solution or needs to be fixed but if we view it as a human rights issue then we can think of it instead as different ways we can protect language through judicial means. This is because we see language in more of a legal way since it is a human right.

In 1984 if you couldn't speak English well then it was viewed as a handicap that you needed to overcome and that if non-English speakers "could transition to speaking English, all of the problems in American society would disappear". From this time the Bilingual Education Act emerged as a way to combat this.

When it comes to the "language as a right orientation" this was a movement to include people's languages as basic human rights. So, if "we are able to focus our approach to language by seeing it as a right then we can start to fit the idea of language into a right." By shifting to this type of view it had people starting to take linguistic discrimination seriously and also help to give the idea that you shouldn't be discriminated against just because of the language that you spoke.

Lastly when it comes to "language as a resource orientation" it means that language can be used as an economic resource since it was view as a way that could help to ease tension between different language groups.

Orientation is very important, since it involves how you view something, or a situation and the video emphasized on that a lot throughout.

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:08:40 UTC

I haven't had the chance to start my field work yet due to a serious injury, but I can reflect on a time when I worked in a school setting where language orientation was being used.

Which orientation do you most observe in your current school setting?

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:10:01 UTC

The "language as a problem orientation" is the one that I observed the most.

Give at least two concrete examples of how this orientation shows up (e.g., curriculum, teacher talk, assessment, student grouping).

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:17:39 UTC

For this student he mainly spoke Spanish and didn't understand English very well at the time and was the only English learner in the class. When it would come to assessments they were only in English because the teacher felt like he didn't need to make "exceptions" for one student and that he could try and figure it out. Another thing was the teacher would say that if the student doesn't become proficient in English, he won't do well in school and life since knowing English is everything in this country. Instead of supporting the student, the teacher would always make his lack of knowledge of English a problem.

Reflect: Is this orientation helping or limiting students?

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:20:26 UTC

This orientation is limiting the student because it is putting him down and isn't helping him to get better at learning English or supporting him. He is being singled out and making it seem like there is something wrong with him for not knowing English and how he won't make it in life if it stays that way.

Which orientation do you personally align with most? Why?

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:24:55 UTC

I align with "language as a right orientation". The reason why I align with this one is because everyone comes from a heritage and culture that has their own language and customs and people shouldn't be discriminated for that but instead it should be embrace because you can learn from each other. Language is a human right, and no one should be discriminated for the language that they speak.

What challenges or opportunities might come from adopting this lens in your future classroom?

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:29:40 UTC

A lot of opportunities can come out of viewing language as a right. You can start conversations and learn more about each other through the different languages that people speak. It also helps to teach students not to judge or discriminate against someone who speaks a different language then you. There will always be challenges when you are teaching especially when it comes to language but by creating acceptance in the classroom for diverse languages it is a step in the right direction to help eliminate those challenges especially when discrimination is involved.

thoramortensen — 2025-10-03 20:44:44 UTC

When it came to what I saw while working in that school setting with that teacher, he made it seem like it was the student's problem for not understanding English. When it comes to "language as a problem orientation" everyone likes to view it as a problem of the person who speaks a different language.