Who counts as a speaker of a language? | Anna Babel

Summary

The script explores the complex relationship between language and social identity through the Tower of Babel narrative. It discusses how language proficiency doesn't always equate to self-identification as a speaker and the challenges faced by bilingual individuals. The speaker, a Spanish professor, shares research findings that show how social perceptions influence language understanding, including her own children's experiences with language assessment. The talk concludes with a call to question our biases and assumptions about language and social categories.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The Tower of Babel story symbolizes how language diversity can lead to perceived divisions and conflicts among people.
• 🗣️ Language proficiency doesn't always equate to self-identification as a speaker of that language, as seen with advanced Spanish students.
• 👶 Age of language acquisition affects how individuals perceive their language skills, with some second-generation speakers feeling less proficient.
• 🏡 Bilingualism is often misunderstood, as people expect bilinguals to be two monolinguals in one, rather than recognizing language specialization.
• 👀 Perceptions of language are influenced by social categories, as shown by a study where listeners' expectations affected their understanding of speech.
• 📊 Research across different countries consistently shows that social biases can alter the way language is perceived and understood.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker's personal experience with her children highlights the real-world impact of language and social categorization on education and identity.
• 🏢 Language tests may not accurately measure proficiency but could reflect socioeconomic factors or exposure to certain language varieties.
• 🎓 The speaker's son's experience with an English test underscores potential biases in language assessment and the importance of recognizing diverse dialects.
• 🤔 The speaker encourages questioning assumptions about language and social categories to avoid perpetuating harmful biases and stereotypes.

Q & A

What is the Tower of Babel story and what does it symbolize in terms of language and social groups?

The Tower of Babel story is a biblical narrative where people united to build a tower to reach the heavens, speaking a common language. God, displeased by their arrogance, scattered them across the earth and made them speak different languages. This story symbolizes the idea that speaking different languages can lead to division and conflict, while a common language signifies unity and cooperation.

How does the speaker's experience as a Spanish professor at Ohio State influence her perspective on language and identity?

As a Spanish professor, the speaker observes that her students, despite being proficient in Spanish, often do not identify as Spanish speakers. This experience highlights the complexity of language identity and challenges the notion that language proficiency alone determines one's identity as a speaker of a language.

What is the common misconception about bilingualism that the speaker addresses?

The speaker addresses the misconception that being a good bilingual means being two monolinguals in one body. Instead, she explains that it is more common for bilinguals to specialize in using one language in one context and another in a different context.

How does the speaker's research in Bolivia demonstrate the influence of social categories on language perception?

The speaker's research in Bolivia shows that listeners' perceptions of speech are influenced by the social categories they associate with the speakers. In an experiment, listeners heard the same speech but perceived it differently based on whether they believed the speaker was a Quechua or a typical Spanish speaker.

What is the significance of the study where listeners were told different backgrounds of the speakers they were listening to?

The study's significance lies in demonstrating that the social identity of speakers can alter how listeners perceive and interpret language, even when the speech itself remains unchanged. This highlights the powerful role of social bias in shaping our understanding of language.

How do social categories affect language comprehension according to the studies mentioned in the script?

Studies mentioned in the script show that social categories can significantly affect language comprehension. For example, students who saw an Asian face associated with a lecture perceived it as less clear than those who saw a Caucasian face, despite listening to the same recording.

What was the unexpected outcome of the speaker's children's ESL placement exams, and why was it surprising?

The speaker's children scored as non-native English speakers on their ESL placement exams, which was surprising because they were native speakers and used English fluently in their daily lives. This outcome was unexpected and raised questions about the accuracy of the tests in assessing language proficiency.

Why did the teacher's explanation of the speaker's son's test results catch the speaker's attention as a linguist?

The teacher's explanation caught the speaker's attention because it identified a grammatical structure that the son used, which was attributed to non-native English speakers. However, the speaker knew that this structure is part of 'African-American English,' a rule-governed dialect, indicating a misinterpretation of the son's language skills.

What concerns does the speaker express about the long-term effects of racial profiling and language bias on individuals?

The speaker expresses concerns that racial profiling and language bias, even when unintentional, can have long-reaching effects on individuals' lives, such as impacting their educational and professional opportunities, and potentially leading to systemic discrimination.

How does the speaker suggest we should approach the question of who counts as a speaker of a language?

The speaker suggests that we should approach the question of who counts as a speaker of a language with an understanding that people are pattern seekers and often project biases onto language. She encourages questioning assumptions and reflecting on the complex links between language and social categories.