Critical discourse analysis of the terminology and definitions of multilingual learners across U.S. policies vs. the WIDA ELD standards

Abstract

This paper explores how “English learners (ELs)” or who we prefer to call “multilingual learners” are labeled and positioned in policy documents and leading education research documents respectively. Attending to the urgent call for serving the growing number of linguistically and culturally diverse learners, this study delves into the definitions and implications of the basic terminology referring to these learners. Specifically, a 50-state terminology and definitions for multilingual learners as well as the WIDA ELD Standards are examined using critical discourse analysis. The findings reveal contrastive positioning of multilingual learners in policies and research. Deficit-based terms, widely used in policies, are reflective of the monolingual English-only ideology in U.S. schools, which is inconsistent with research and obstructs multilingual learners’ access to equitable education.