Language matters

Walton, Elizabeth; Marais, Catherine

Abstract

Language is an important consideration in the quest for more inclusive classrooms, which expect the ‘Full and effective participation, accessibility, attendance and achievement of all students, especially those who, for different reasons, are excluded or at risk of being marginalized'. Language is used in policy and other discourses of those in power to describe and categorise children and young people, which in turn has a material effect on their educational experiences and life outcomes. The power of language is seen in the way it creates ‘normal' and ‘other' children and young people. In so doing, language encodes ableism. Ableist language constructs disabled pupils as being a binary opposite of non-disabled pupils. Language narrows the boundaries of ‘normal' by describing more and more ways in which pupils might deviate from the norm. Language reveals and perpetuates society's negative views of disability.

Citation

Walton, E., & Marais, C. (2022). Language matters. In K. Black-Hawkins, & A. Grinham-Smith (Eds.), Expanding Possibilities for Inclusive Learning (14-29). (1). Taylor & Francis (Routledge). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003137634-2

• Online Publication Date: Oct 12, 2022
• Publication Date: Oct 12, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2024
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 14-29
• Edition: 1
• Book Title: Expanding Possibilities for Inclusive Learning
• Chapter Number: 2
• ISBN: 9780367684600
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003137634-2
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/37310165
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003137634-2/language-matters-elizabeth-walton-catherine-marais