Introduction

You might wonder, what do access and power have to do with language learning?

Well, think about which languages you hear at school, at work, or in the media. Which ones do we see or hear the most, and have the most access to? Which ones are never or rarely heard in these spaces?

This is a matter of power and access!  

The languages we use and have access to reveals what has happened to them over time and, therefore, what has happened to us and our ancestors. Some communities have lost or are losing access to their languages, which are being replaced by languages that have wider influence and power. Language and power are deeply intertwined. Think of it like this – power is the ability to influence or control others and language can be used to exercise that power. When people have power, their language tends to be highly visible and influential in society, but if people from a different social, political, or economic group lack recognition or prestige in society, their language tends to be devalued or simply unnoticed.

Let’s take as an example the many indigenous languages of the Americas. While Native people were the first human inhabitants of the Americas, their languages aren’t represented well in U.S. education. For instance, the language spoken in the Eugene area of Oregon before Europeans arrived is Kalapuya. The Kalapuyan people first lived on this land and their descendants continue to live here. Despite this, you will not hear Kalapuya if you walk the streets of Eugene, and you will not see it listed in course language offerings. It is not spoken as a daily community language anymore. Why is this?

It is obvious that some languages are far more present in daily modern life in the modern Americas. In the United States, most people speak English, and many others speak Spanish. The historical colonial influence of Great Britain and Spain in the Americas has made these languages widespread and accessible in schools today. Their dominance is apparent not only in the United States but in many places around the world; English and Spanish are among the most taught second languages in schools globally. But there are many more languages that are spoken in the US, such as indigenous languages and the many different languages of immigrant communities. Not all these languages get the same public love and attention as English. Shifting to more dominant or powerful languages is a widespread phenomenon and has a direct impact on the languages that we can learn in our communities or in the classroom.

In this chapter, we will explore how power and access to languages play a critical role in the languages we are learning at home, at school, or in our communities. We might ask, if there isn’t a large group of speakers of a particular language anymore, how can it be kept alive or taught? And why should we learn languages that lack resources and seem less relevant than the more prevalent languages?

One simple answer is that a language holds power in more ways than one. When you know one or more additional languages, you are not only becoming bi/multilingual yourself but also making multilingualism more accessible to others. The next sections of this chapter show that when languages are no longer visible in communities, we lose much more than language. Not only are words forgotten, but entire aspects of cultural traditions such as indigenous and ecological knowledge can be lost.  By becoming aware of and paying attention to all languages, including those less visible, we play a significant part in making the world more multilingual, diverse, and culturally sustainable.

In short, this chapter argues that by raising your awareness about issues of power and access in language learning, you will become a more informed multilingual citizen. If you are learning a language that is less visible or has less power, be assured that it is worth learning. And if you are learning a language that’s more visible or has more power, you can recognize the privilege that comes with it.

Multilingualism is a superpower, not just for you, but for everyone.

References