A Sociocognitive Discourse Analysis of Monolingual Ideology and Bias in Special Education Partnerships

Abstract

Communication difficulties between immigrant families who are non-native English speakers and special education professionals lead to unsuccessful family–professional partnerships. Such difficulties are often attributed to families’ low English proficiency or to limited access to quality language services. Other sources of partnership issues are occasionally overlooked. Consequently, special education professional partnerships with immigrant families may benefit from more critical discourse analyses of monolingual English-driven communication. Using Van Dijk’s sociocognitive approach to critical discourse studies, we analyzed 16 articles on special education partnerships by examining the discourses of monolingual ideologies and biases. The analysis identified three interrelated discourses in the literature: (a) parents’ compliance to monolingual biased norms in communication and self-blaming discourses; (b) professionals’ othering discourses and diffusion of responsibility concerning parents’ communicative needs; and (c) researchers’ role as gatekeepers in the recontextualization of parent–professional discourses. Finally, we discuss how to promote linguistically equitable partnerships addressing each discourse.