an opinion from Jon at LASSN
If you speak English at work – this article could really help you to become more aware of how you speak, and how to be more inclusive in your communication.
It’s an area of anti-racist practice which does not get much attention as some others, but is the source of a lot of hurt and frustration – and an area that deserves your attention.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210528-the-pervasive-problem-of-linguistic-racism
As the author concludes – “I’ve been reflecting a lot on the extent to which my career depends on my privilege as a so-called native English speaker… The very least that I, and others like me, can do with this privilege is to become aware of its effects and reduce the ways that we contribute to it. Individual acts of thoughtfulness can’t dismantle the structures of power that keep North American and Western European English dominant. But they can help cultivate an appreciation of English in all its diversity.”
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