A Language Justice Framework for Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation

Abstract Evaluation interconnects with myriad social needs and must be responsive to diverse, intersecting identities and experiences, including language. Over 25 million people in the United States speak English less than “very well,” according to the U.S. Census. Many are from marginalized communities that face multiple forms of oppression, including racism, xenophobia, and linguicism. We propose an evaluation framework grounded in language justice—simply defined as the right to communicate in the language in which one feels most comfortable. This right is threatened by structural inequities that include unexamined and exclusionary evaluation practices. Our chapter discusses language equity and oppression, and distinguishes between language access and language justice. We also explore definitions and principles of language justice and assert its special salience for practitioners of Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation. Finally, we provide guidance on integrating a language justice framework into common evaluation practices, with a particular emphasis on participatory methodologies.