Now we will turn to the work of Dr. John Baugh, Stanford professor and renowned linguistics expert. Dr. Baugh authored the concept of linguistic profiling. In the book Black linguistics: Language, society, and politics in Africa and the Americas, he says, “The concept of ‘linguistic profiling’ is introduced here as the auditory equivalent of visual ‘racial profiling’ […and] can have devastating consequences for those US residents who are perceived to speak with an undesirable accent or dialect” (Baugh, 2003, p. 155). Explore the different types of linguistic profiling below and complete the reflections.

Preferential linguistic profiling

Preferential linguistic profiling has to do with what we consider to be the “right” accent or the “right” way to speak. In the United States, this is often called standard or dominant American English. In other words, the “right” way of speaking is “the ability to speak a register of English that is widely perceived as attached to Whiteness” (Mena, 2020). For example, thinking that someone who speaks with a British accent sounds smart.

Discriminatory linguistic profiling

Dr. Baugh explains how it is natural and automatic to draw demographic inferences about people based on the sound of their voice. For example, you may judge whether you are speaking to an adult or a child (TEDx Talks, Baugh, 2019). Drawing these conclusions is not necessarily discriminatory linguistic profiling. But it can lead to it. That is why we must be aware of our biases and assumptions attached to the way people speak.

Discriminatory linguistic profiling, “occurs when a person is denied access to otherwise available goods or services by phone, sight unseen, based exclusively on the sound of their voice […] meaning you differentiate based on sound and you act in a discriminatory way” (TEDx Talks, Baugh, 2019). While racial profiling is based on a visual cue, linguistic profiling is based on an auditory cue that is often linked to racial stereotypes.

Reflection #1

Imagine a child who speaks English. What do they look like? What might you infer regarding their economic status, how well they’re doing in school, or how involved their parents are in the classroom? Write down your ideas. You will not be required to share them– this is for your own reflection.

Now imagine a child who speaks Spanish. Who do you see? Guess their economic status. How well are they doing in school? How involved are their parents? Write these ideas down.

Repeat these steps with a child who speaks French.

• How about a child who speaks Somali?
• A child who speaks Japanese?

Now take a minute and look over your notes. Do you see any similarities across languages? How about any variability? Are there some children you guessed were doing better in school than others? Had more economic resources? More involved parents?

If you see variability in your responses, ask yourself why. Take a minute to respond to that question in your notes.

This activity is to practice reflecting on your own biases. Remember, we all have them! If we can recognize our biases around race, language, and more, we can recognize areas that need growth within ourselves and focus on improving.

Now take another few minutes to write down a response to these questions:

• Where did you learn these biases?
• What reinforces these biases today?
• What ways do/will you work against harmful biases?

Inclusive linguistic profiling

Finally, let’s consider the concept of inclusive linguistic profiling. This is when you might recognize someone that sounds the same as you and suddenly feel a connection with them or feel a connection with a larger community (Mena, 2020). Consider the impact this can have for you in your own early learning community.

• Have you ever experienced this?
• Based on your own linguistic background, who may be included or not included in conversations that happen in your learning setting?
• How can you be more inclusive of people of all linguistic backgrounds, especially those that differ from your own?

Reflection #2

Take a moment to reflect on this quote by Dr. Baugh:

“Everybody has an accent. If you speak, you have an accent. If you think you don’t have an accent, it’s because the manner in which you speak doesn’t trigger a negative reaction to you” (TEDx Talks, Baugh, 2019).

• What thoughts and feelings does this bring up for you personally?
• What thoughts and feelings does it bring up for you as an early learning educator?
• How would you describe your unique linguistic heritage? What is your first linguistic memory? How does this impact your lived experience out in the world?

Dr. Baugh explains how one important step forward is our own willingness to be accepting of others whose linguistic background is substantially different from our own. Taking time to reflect on Dr. Baugh’s work and the questions posed above is a great first step toward creating a more equitable, inclusive environment for all children and families in your early learning setting. What else can you do? How can you continue to reflect on your biases, beliefs, and personal experiences with the aim of promoting language justice for children and families in your early learning program?

References

Baugh, J. (2003). Linguistic profiling. In S. Makoni, G. Smitherman, A.F. Ball, & A.K. Spears (Eds.), Black linguistics: Language, society, and politics in Africa and the Americas (pp. 155-168). Routledge.

Communities Creating Healthy Environments (CCHE) (2012). Language justice toolkit: Multilingual strategies for community organizing. [Webpage]

Mena, M. (2020, April 25). John Baugh- “Linguistic Profiling” (2003) [Video]. YouTube.

Rodriguez-Arroyo, S. & Pearson, F. (2020). Learning from the history of language oppression: Educators as agents of language justice. Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership in Education, 5(1). [Webpage]

TEDx Talks (2019, June 28). The significance of language profiling, John Baugh [Video]. YouTube.