Decolonizing Linguistic Education: Language, Power, and Social Justice with Gabriela Martínez Loyola

By María Eugenia De Luna

In my classes, I aim to foster inclusive and critical discussions about language, identity, and society justice. As part of this commitment, I developed my TIPP Fund project, Decolonizing Linguistic Education: Fostering Equity and Advocacy in LING 101, to encourage students to reflect critically on linguistic hierarchies and power dynamics and to promote more inclusive language practices in their academic and social environments.

The TIPP Fund, supported by the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) at UFV, promotes Changemaking Education by encouraging instructors to explore and implement innovative teaching and learning approaches. This initiative aims to provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful conversations and inspire them to become changemakers through their educational experiences. My project aligns with this vision by helping students recognize the power dynamics embedded in language and develop strategies to advocate for linguistic equity in their communities.

A significant and enriching moment of this project was the guest talk by Gabriela Martínez Loyola, a PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies at Western University, who joined us via Zoom on February 13, 2025, to present “Empowering Minority Groups in Society: The Importance of Lived Experiences among University Students.”

Gabriela’s research focuses on attitudes toward Caribbean Spanish, examining how social and historical factors shape the perceptions of this linguistic variety. Her work highlights that language is more than a means of communication; it is deeply connected to identity and social belonging but is often shaped by prejudice, marginalization, and power structures. This perspective added a unique and invaluable dimension to our discussion, reinforcing the importance of understanding language beyond grammatical structures as a tool for agency, representation, and social justice.

Gabriela’s talk explored the challenges faced by linguistic minority communities, with a particular emphasis on university settings, while also addressing broader social contexts. Through her insights, she highlighted how language is not just about communication but about identity, power, and belonging, both within academic spaces and in society at large.

One particularly impactful discussion stemmed from a case study where a Spanish-speaking mother and daughter were publicly reprimanded for using their native language, illustrating the real-world consequences of linguistic discrimination. This sparked critical reflections about:

Linguistic discrimination and the normalization of dominant language ideologies.

The pressures that multilingual individuals face to conform in public spaces.

The intergenerational effects of language suppression on communities.

These ideas encourage students to reflect on their own experiences with language and power, helping them recognize how language can be both a source of empowerment and a target of exclusion. Through this reflection, they are also challenged to actively advocate for linguistic equity and foster more inclusive language practices in their communities.

I sincerely thank Gabriela Martínez Loyola for sharing her expertise and experiences with my LING 101 class. Her presentation reinforced a crucial reality: “Good intentions are simply not enough.” Language is profoundly shaped by history, power, and policy.