Introducing linguistics to high schoolers as a healing practice

Abstract

In this paper, we offer a curriculum and two lesson plans to teach linguistics to high school students in a TRIO program. We propose that teaching linguistics to high schoolers can be done by centering their identities and their communities. We offer some examples of the content that we used in our own teaching, and we discuss how linguistics can give the tools needed to the students to talk about their experiences, and to understand the needs of their community. Finally, we demonstrate the use of social justice as a way for the student to engage more deeply with the subject of linguistics, process lived experiences and work towards healing.