Emily Kurtin

Language Manifesto

In my Language Manifesto and my teaching philosophy in general, I value all languages

and forms of knowledge and communication. In our (mine and my students’) classroom, we

value and accept all languages. My students’ languages have deep value that can be built upon

and interwoven with other languages to strengthen understanding. This is represented in my

collage by the map of the world with many people speaking their own languages and the image

of the world with a heart over it. I am monolingual and some of my students will probably be as

well. However, I also know that many of my students will speak multiple languages. It is okay to

not understand each other at all times. We must learn to be comfortable not knowing. According

to bell hooks, the space in which we listen to others who speak another language is an important

opportunity to learn and grow: “I suggest that we may learn from spaces of silence as well as

spaces of speech, that in the patient act of listening to another tongue we may subvert that culture

of capitalist frenzy and consumption that demands all desire must be satisfied immediately, or we

may disrupt that cultural imperialism that suggests one is worthy of being heard only if one

speaks in standard English. …” (hooks, 1994). That being said, if a student prefers to

communicate something in another language, there are multiple ways of translating what they are

saying so that we understand what they are communicating. The opposite is also true, that if a

student prefers to receive something in their language, we can provide translations. This is

represented in my collage by the image of the person translating a text.

Similarly, if we accept all languages, we must accept all forms of communication. In my

collage, I included an ear listening, eyes watching, two people talking, a hand writing, and hands

raised to demonstrate multiple ways of communicating because my students and I will value and

accept all forms of communication. Students communicate and participate in a variety of ways,
and I believe it is important to validate all forms of communication so that students feel heard

and understood at all times. Accepting all forms of communication is an important part of

recognizing all knowledge.

In our classroom, we recognize that everyone comes to the classroom with funds of

knowledge from our experiences and communities. Throughout our lives, regardless of how long

we have been living, we have built a wealth of knowledge from what we have experienced and

the people we have come across. In our classroom, we recognize that everyone’s knowledge is

valuable and may look different. Through our recognition of building knowledge from our

communities, we also acknowledge the value of the communities we are coming from. These

communities have provided each of us with assets that we can build upon.

One important practice, rooted in the commitments listed in my manifesto, that I will

implement in my classroom across disciplines is scaffolding. An important step of scaffolding is

to recognize where the student is at and what knowledge they already have. After acknowledging

this, I can work with my students within their zone of proximal development and support them to

learn and grow. I will continue to support them until they are able to work independently, which

is referred to as the gradual release of responsibility. However, I would not be able to scaffold

my students if I did not recognize the value of their languages, forms of communication,

communities, and knowledge first.

I believe my Language Manifesto and the commitments I am making will build a strong

community in our classroom. The greater effect of us recognizing that the languages we speak,

the communities we come from, the knowledge we have, and the ways we communicate all have

value is accepting and supporting each other unconditionally.

 Works Cited

hooks, b. (1994). “Language Teaching New Worlds/New Words”. Teaching to Transgress:

Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge, pp.167-175.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
 We support each other
with scaffolds.

All students come with

funds of knowledge
from their communities.

All languages
are valuable.
There are many
forms of
communication.

Language Manifesto
In this classroom...
1. We value all languages, including those spoken by our peers in the classroom.
2. We accept all forms of communication, verbal, written, and otherwise.
3. We recognize that we all come to our classroom with knowledge and valuable experiences.
4. We recognize that we all come from communities that have provided us experiences and
knowledge.
5. We accept and support each other unconditionally, regardless of the language we speak
and where we come from. Emily Kurtin