Instructional Conversations for Equitable Participation to Challenge Deficit Views of Pidgin in Hawai‘i

Hawaiʻi Creole, known as "Pidgin," developed when speakers of various languages came to the islands as plantation workers and their children grew up speaking Pidgin. Discrimination toward Pidgin influenced language policies that marginalized Pidgin and its speakers. This study focused on four teachers' perspectives of Pidgin and its marginalization and use in classrooms. The educators were engaged in professional development on small group discussion. Data sources included transcripts of discussions about Pidgin and its use in the classroom, teachers' written reflections, and comments on each other's reflections. Results indicated that the teachers observed the perpetuation of negative views about Pidgin. One teacher recounted that she initially appropriated these negative ideas, but changed her views while in college. Although some were initially unsure about Pidgin's role in their classrooms, by the end of the professional development they appeared to have positive views about promoting all of their students' linguistic repertoires.