Latina dual language teacher candidates’ language ideologies in flux: Disrupting dominant narratives on the path to becoming teachers

Abstract

Emerging research on language ideologies is increasingly concentrating on Latinx bilingual Dual Language Teacher Candidates (DLTCs), an underrepresented demographics in scholarly work. However, shifts in their language ideologies over time have been understudied. DLTCs enact and articulate a range of language ideologies which, if unexamined, may perpetuate oppression for minoritized students. Utilizing a raciolinguistic framework, this critical qualitative study investigated the language ideologies of four Latina English-Spanish DLTCs over the course of their teacher preparation. The goal was to examine how any ideological shifts shaped their identities as bilingual speakers and educators. Findings revealed that influenced by coursework and student-teaching experiences, the DLTCs followed distinct, non-linear trajectories toward anti-oppressive language ideologies–although they also expressed tensions, at times (Henderson, 2022). These findings underscore the importance of creating spaces and opportunities for ongoing critical reflection in teacher preparation and beyond to challenge and dismantle White supremacist perspectives on language.