Examining Linguistics in the Language Strand of the Common Core State Standards

The funding and support of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the widespread adoption of the standards have prompted the educational publishing industry in the United States to produce a host of offerings, all promising to help students meet these rigorous new standards. In the CCSS for English Language Arts and Literacy, there is an entire strand, with the title ‘Language’, offering the opportunity to incorporate knowledge of language into schools in ways that will further the goals of educators, administrators, and linguists alike. However, an examination of some of the materials aligned with the CCSS that are offered by corporate publishing giants reveals that these are not informed by advances in linguistics and undermine teachers' autonomy. Additionally, many of the Language standards themselves are not informed by linguistics and instead reinforce myths, stereotypes, and discriminatory attitudes, if taken at face value. Linguists, teacher educators, and teachers must recognize today's publishers' marketing ploys for what they are. If teachers are encouraged to do what they know how to do, including select their own materials, and to use the topics in the Language standards to teach in more sophisticated ways about language, then the standards could become a launching pad for improved teaching and learning about language and linguistic discrimination.