by Liliana Benzel
Privilege and power are two concepts that hold tremendous meaning in and of themselves, but they especially hold significance in regard to the realm of academia and the pathways of access leading into and through it. There are so many different aspects of privilege, power and access in education that one can examine, from racial and gendered privileges to the struggles surrounding a lack of access faced by students with disabilities of all kinds. What I would like to specifically talk about here, however, is the lack of privilege and access faced by students for whom English is not their first language, and how we, as tutors and consultants, work with these individuals. It is imperative that we are able to look at and understand the effects of these dynamics on both non-native English speakers and writers, as well as ourselves.
Students who did not learn English as their first language growing up and or in school are generally referred to as ESL (English as a Second Language, or L2) students, and they face a number of different obstacles required for them to enter and prosper in American academia.
In feminist and cultural theorist Gloria Anzaldua’s How to Tame a Wild Tongue, she explains how her status as a student who spoke English as a second language shaped and constrained both her life and overall education growing up in America. Anzaldua discusses several instances that occurred throughout her schooling where she was either prohibited or punished for speaking Spanish (her first language), and even notes how she and many of her peers were required to take a number of speech classes at her university in order to, “get rid of [their] accents.” Accents, however, are not just reflected in speech. Accents are demonstrated in the writing of ESL individuals as well. These accents reflect not just the elements and rules of their native language, but also details and nuances that come directly from their culture. Anzaldua asserts throughout the essay that “I am my language,” and puts great emphasis on the connection between one’s identity and the language of their culture.
The removal of accents in the writing of ESL students is, in essence, denying the cultural and individual identity of the student by forcing upon them the rules and practices of the dominant culture in America. It is a type of identity erasure that teaches these students that they, their language, and culture, is both unaccepted and somehow wrong. Being classified as an ESL student places them at a lower level of privilege than students who learned English as their first language. A good portion of the American education system has been implemented to not just teach these students the rules of “proper” English, but, in many cases, to completely try and remove the linguistic cultural identity of individuals.
In another article entitled “No ‘Knapsack of Invisible Privilege’ for ESL University Students,” written by Professor Stephanie Vandrick and published in the Journal of Language, Identity & Education, it is emphasized how professors and fellow non-ESL students will often not hear what an ESL student is trying to say, but only hear how they say it. Often times an individual, even if they are an open-minded teacher or peer tutor, can quickly fall into the mindset that an ESL student they are working with isn’t intelligent, or, perhaps, just not up to the standards set in American Universities. Consultants can experience anything and everything from frustration, annoyance, uncertainty, and doubt when working with second language learners. However, consultants must keep in mind that the student they are working with likely feels the same, if not worse about the situation depending on how they have been treated as an ESL student in the past.
So many of the ESL writers I have had the immense pleasure of working with in the writing center at the University of Denver have repeatedly apologized to me about how “bad” their English is. They feel as though their work, and even they are somehow a mistake that we (the consultants) have to essentially “deal with.” That is an attitude I have encountered so often from ESL students. It has always left me feeling broken hearted that these writers who are clearly trying so hard to meet the standards of academic American English feel as though their writing is just something to be corrected. These students, in actuality, are incredibly intelligent and often very talented writers. We should fight any sort of doubt about that, especially when that doubt arises simply because of a difficulty in communication.
In chapter 13 of Tutoring Second Language Writers, entitled “Unfamiliar Territory: Tutors Working With the Second Language Writers on Disciplinary Writing”, author Jennifer Craig explains how ESL students not only have to advance their knowledge of their second language, but also have to learn all of the additional rules, methods and nuances that exist within their specific academic disciplines at the same time. For example, ESL students studying to be engineers not only have to learn English, but also have to learn the English used specifically by engineers. This likely also includes any form of coding or programing languages they may be required to know as well. Overall, this means that the student has to actually learn at least two languages; English, and the English of their specific discipline of study. So, the descent into the mindset that might cause us to question the intellect and ability of ESL students is truly a negative pitfall that all tutors and consultants must work hard to avoid.
As consultants, we must always be aware of the structures of power and privilege in academia, and how these structures not only impact us, but especially how they impact the students and writers we work with. The truth of the matter is that academia is not a realm free of the dynamics that serve to raise up some students, while lowering and placing numerous obstacles before others. It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to help those negatively impacted by this system of privilege to grow and prosper as both writers and individuals. While also making sure that we do not try and erase or devalue them, or the languages that make up part of their identity.
Liliana Benzel is an undergraduate at the University of Denver pursuing a major in English with completed minors in the fields of criminology and psychology. She was awarded the Deatt Hudson Scholarship for her high achievement in English and Literary Arts. She is currently in her second year as a Writing Consultant at the DU Writing Center, and worked alongside the Writing Center Directors in hosting a panel on the importance of Literacy Narratives at the 2019 Tutor Con in Denver. Liliana is also serving as a Student Ambassador for the university’s ePortfolio initiative taking place on campus.