Policy Discourses and U.S. Language in Education Policies

Language in education policy for English language learners in the United States has varied significantly over time and has been shaped by policy discourses that could broadly be described as assimilationist (monolingual) and pluralist (multilingual) views of the role of linguistic and cultural diversity in schools. This article outlines the main arguments underlying these discourses, situating them as distinctly different societal conversations rather than mere opposites. Both discourses have historically been reflected in U.S. language policies at different times with different dimensions being highlighted within each discourse. At present time, the dominance of monolingual discourses is clear, although pluralistic spaces continue to resist monolingual trends. The article concludes with the need for constructing more pluralist discourses and proposes a framework that advocates for policies and practices that affirm cultural identities, promote additive multilingual learning environments, and support an integrative approach to the schooling of linguistically and culturally diverse learners.