Students' Rights to Their Own Language

"Students' Rights to Their Own Language" is a resolution adopted by the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC).^[1] In 1974, the CCCC released a position statement focused on "Student’s Rights to Their Own Language." The statement challenges the expectation that students in the United States should exclusively use Standard American English in their classwork. The statement argues it is unjust and racist to require all students to use the Standard American Dialect, claiming that doing so enables one social group to dominate the others. The statement also claims that it is the duty of educators to respect diversity and help students uphold rights to their own language. The CCCC’s website organizes their position statements thematically. "Students’ Rights Their Own Language" falls under the theme of “Statements on Social and Linguistic and Antiracist Pedagogies.”^[2]

Supporting arguments of "Students' Rights to Their Own Language"

The CCCC has expanded its claims about "Students' Rights to Their Own Language" through the introduction of another idea surrounding academics in language, which is the idea of "White Language Supremacy" (WLS). The CCCC wrote a position statement on this topic as well. The introduction of "White Language Supremacy" is a supporting argument as to why students deserve rights to their own language. WLS as an argument also affirms the CCCC's belief that standard American dialect is inherently racist; this sentiment was brought up in their 1974 position statement. The CCCC’s argument throughout the statement focuses on normalized "White Language Supremacy." The statement then goes on to say that WLS is a tool for white supremacy as it defines and evaluates ideas, writing, rhetoric, and pedagogies. The WLS definitions of these topics can be harmful and predatory to students.^[3] The CCCC argues that it teaches students that their own language and background is not a valid or proper manner of communication and that it does not belong in academia.

Asao B. Inoue, CCCC chair in 2019, reflected and expanded on both "student’s right to their own language" and "white language supremacy." Inoue's speech as CCCC chair touches on points that contribute to the conversation about "students' rights to their own language". Inoue argued that educational racism has been powered by white supremacy and its manifestation in language and education.^[4] He further echos the sentiments from the 1974 position statement that white supremacy has seeped into the inner workings and foundation of language and education. Inoue's claims through his definition of normalized white supremacy, that it has put students of color in a cage and has not allowed them to succeed and flourish in academia, as their language is not considered to be proper.^[4]

In June 2021, the CCCC created a position statement that reflected on the teacher duties from the 1974 position statement entitled, "This Ain’t Another Statement! This is a DEMAND for Black Linguistic Justice!" This statement is written in African American Vernacular English and includes a list of demands that teachers must abide by. This includes; 1. Teachers must stop perpetuating the idea that academic language should be the communicative norm. 2. Teachers must stop encouraging code-switching and teach about white language supremacy. 3. Teachers must create a safe environment for politics, and activism in the classroom. 4. Teachers must develop Black Linguistic Consciousness in order to decolonize their mind and classroom. 5. Black dispositions are centered in the research and teaching of Black Language!^[5] This statement expands the role of the teacher from the 1974 position statement, as it shows how teachers can support Black Linguistic Justice while also attempting to shame teachers who were not supporting it. Through its demands and strong words, this statement communicates that students of color have been conditioned to think that academia and education is not a suitable place for their culture and background, which also echos the original 1974 statement.