“Language is being a effectiveest tool for political controls.” If that opening sentence made you cringe, you’re not alone. Many people instinctively react to “incorrect” grammar, but have you ever questioned why certain ways of speaking are deemed wrong? Who determines the rules, and who gets silenced in the process?
These are some of the questions that LJ Randolph is striving to answer. A professor in World Language Education at UW Madison, Randolph argues that his own “language journey influences the way [he] approaches work.”
In a recent talk in Rubenstein Library, he outlined his efforts to challenge traditional education methods, advocating for an approach that affirms all linguistic identities rather than policing them. “We exist in this world where we are bombarded by language ideologies.” This recognition has led him to approach language as not merely a technical skill to be corrected but as a political and social tool that shapes power structures. For Randolph, language is “an act of abolition, liberation, and joy.”
Randolph describes abolition not as simple reform but as a fundamental restructuring of harmful systems– including those embedded in language. He argues that dominant linguistic norms dictate whose language is considered valid and whose is not. For example, key features of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), such as unique verb tenses – “I been did that”– are often dismissed as incorrect, despite their grammatical consistency within the dialect. Meanwhile, common errors in Standard American English, such as “Please speak to Jim or myself if you have any questions”, are rarely criticized in the same way. Randolph attributes this discrepancy to the way in which language is inherently political.
Randolph’s commitment to dismantling language policing is most evident in his classroom. He structures his teaching around the framework developed by Gholdy Muhammed, an associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University. Muhammed’s model, known as the “Five Pursuits,” focuses on Identity, Skill, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy as the key elements needed to foster an inclusive and empowering learning environment.
Identity: Within his own classroom, Randolph uses identity to encourage students to reflect on their own linguistic identities. Through the use of “Can Do” statements, students explore how they understand themselves within different linguistic contexts. Additionally, students engage with texts by selecting passages that evoke strong reactions– such as joy, discomfort, and even curiosity.
Skill: In his classroom, language proficiency is also approached with flexibility. Randolph has his students select challenge levels based on their personal learning goals. Some of the activities that he has his students complete include summarizing passages into a single word, titling the sections of a text, and explaining the connection between key elements in passages.
Intellect: Additionally, Randolph works in discussions on what he refers to as translanguaging, which describes the practice of fluidly moving between languages and dialects. With this, students analyze examples and describe how and why translanguaging can appear within the real-world context.
Criticality: He also emphasizes the importance of developing intercultural communication skills within his students. To develop these skills he has his students create graphic organizers which seek to highlight the intersections between language, identity, and power structures.
Joy: Finally and arguably most importantly, Randolph aims to foster a sense of linguistic celebration among his students by encouraging them to create artistic pieces that highlight the joys of their communities. In these projects, students are able to incorporate their full linguistic repertoires allowing the idea that all forms of language have value to remain at the forefront.
Through centering abolition, liberation, and joy in language education, Randolph challenges the conventional approaches to teaching and learning languages. His work reveals that languages do more than serve as a means of communication– they shape identity, community, and access to power. He shows how rather than policing, students being empowered allows them to recognize the validity of all linguistic identities. Randolph’s methods align with what the classroom that author and activist Bell Hooks describes: “The classroom with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility.”
