The Explanatory Power of Critical Language Studies: Linguistics with an Attitude

Abstract

In this article, I address the miracle of human language from a socio-cultural perspective, emphasizing the role that language, and more explicitly, the critical study of language, can and should play in developing reflective, socially and politically aware and responsible teachers, administrators, and students. The article begins by examining the nature and focus of critical language awareness as it has emerged in the recent years, with particular focus on the implications of critical language awareness for educators. The framework established in discussing critical language awareness is then applied to several broad areas: critical discourse analysis, as a potentially powerful research methodology, and to the implications of critical language awareness for the concept of language rights in education in general and specifically in case of deaf children.