Monolingual Language Ideologies and the Idealized Speaker: The “New Bilingualism” Meets the “Old” Educational Inequities

Background/Context After decades of restrictive U.S. language policies geared toward English-only education, recent years have seen a proliferation dual-language programs, Seal Biliteracy awards, and bilingual education programming more broadly. The demand for such ostensibly suggests growing consensus around the benefits linguistic diversity—dubbed “The New Bilingualism” by Atlantic in 2016. However, research that pivot to this Bilingualism is largely taking place contexts privilege, disproportionately benefiting English-dominant, middle- upper-class communities as compared with multilingual where not “new” at all. Focus Study This piece explores how recent, well-intentioned expansions may actually reinforce historical inequities. Putting forth framework idealized ideologies, article documents bilingualism has historically been encouraged some denied others policy contexts. Research Design Through analysis, ideologies overlap racism nationalism educational across key periods history into present day. Conclusions/Recommendations A foregrounds (1) practices, (2) speakers, (3) institutional interests, highlighting these dynamics function maintain broader social Applying lens makes it possible simultaneously acknowledge positive programming, while also questioning framing or panacea inequality. In time rapid expansion demonstrates even can be normatively framed an ideology problematic hierarchies. Thus, imperative teachers, teacher educators, makers reckon ensure models designed ameliorate inequities do end up reproducing them instead.