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Shifting Ideologies: The Seal of Biliteracy in the United States

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Language Learning in Anglophone Countries

Abstract

Language policy in the United States is complex, with monolingual ideologies continuing to dominate in the twenty-first century. Despite the historical monolingual focus in US schools, a new policy called the Seal of Biliteracy is sweeping the country and challenging these ideologies. This chapter highlights the complexity of language education in the United States by demonstrating how the Seal of Biliteracy took shape within three states, California, Arizona, and Massachusetts, each of which had explicit bans on bilingual education in place as the policy gained momentum. This chapter illuminates how policies and awards that recognize and encourage students’ multilingualism, such as the Seal of Biliteracy, might serve to shift monolingual ideologies.

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Correspondence to Charlotte R. Hancock .

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Hancock, C.R., Davin, K.J. (2021). Shifting Ideologies: The Seal of Biliteracy in the United States. In: Lanvers, U., Thompson, A.S., East, M. (eds) Language Learning in Anglophone Countries. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56654-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56654-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-56653-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-56654-8

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