Unstandardized English

A podcast seeking justice for the racially, linguistically, and neurologically minoritized. Host JPB Gerald examines issues including whiteness, raciolinguistics, academia, capitalism, and sometimes pop culture.

Education
Language Learning
126
Exceptional Merit
In this episode, host JPB Gerald analyzes his theorized connections between ELT, racism, white fragility, and meritocratic ideologies, positing that antiracism in ELT will always struggle as long as meritocracy reigns.
51 min
127
Racialization Experiences as ELT Professionals
In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Alice Kim about her experience as a fellow racialized ELT professional who has taught abroad and also, unlike the host, spent time teaching students in her home context who are the same racialization as she is. The discussion touches on the argument made by some that clients prefer racially majoritized teachers and some possible ways forward for the field. Mostly, though, the host and the guest share their experiences, good and bad, as racialized ELT professionals.
51 min
128
Concepts of Academic Integrity/Language of Grea...
<p>In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Brendan DeCoster about the concept, and troubling nature, of the "language of greater communication," and how this affects language policy in several different contexts. You will not be surprised to learn that it leads to oppression. Also we start by discussing how the concept of 'academic integrity' is wielded harmfully against international students.</p>
60 min
129
Towards a Pedagogy of Heretical Whiteness
In this special, personal episode, host JPB Gerald expounds upon his "problem of practice" upon entering his doctoral program, his research goals, and his hopes for refining a pedagogy he calls "heretical whiteness." This episode covers a lot of ground, but hopefully will push white listeners to question their faith in whiteness in every aspect of their lives and work. The question at hand is: can you be a great white teacher while whiteness exists in its current form? And if not, what is the path that will take us towards the dissolution of white supremacy?
36 min
130
Chasing Encounters Crossover
<p>In this episode, host JPB Gerald completes his conversation with Chasing Encounters podcast host Yecid Ortega. The first half of the conversation can be found on his podcast page (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/chasingencounters/ces3e1-unstandardized-podcasting">link it here</a>!). They discuss some of the issues with the weak way "social justice" and "diversity" are used, racial tokenism, and the fecklessness of "white privilege" discussions. It's great, and you should listen!</p>
38 min
131
The Language of White Supremacy
In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Maureen Kosse about the insidious ways white supremacy and the alt-right use language to lure people, what led to our current predicament, and where we might go from here. Ultimately, a necessary discussion about white racial identity.
59 min
132
Discriminating Outcomes
In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Kelly Wright about her article "Language and Discrimination: Generating Meaning, Perceiving Identities, and Discriminating Outcomes." Linguistic discrimination is everywhere, people!
63 min
133
The Altruistic Shield, LIVE
Live presentation of the Altruistic Shield paper at NYS TESOL, 11/15/19. Yay!
39 min
134
An 'accurate' conversation about 'fluency'
In this episode, Scott Stillar joins JPB to discuss the concept of fluency and how it can be used as a judgement and a barrier.
43 min
135
Bad Rap
An exploration of Ibram Kendi's conceptualization of 'cultural racism' via experiences of having linguistic dismissal of 'rap' used as a socially permissible means of denigrating blackness.
40 min
136
'What can we actually do about native speakerism?'
If you are in the field of language education, you know that native speakerism is a prevalent form of discrimination. But we've been talking about it forever and it continues to bedevil the field. In this episode, JPB and guest Dr. Parisa Mehran try to find a productive way forward on the issue.
27 min
137
'Black and/or smart'
In this slightly different episode, host JPB Gerald speaks to his experiences being classified as 'smart' from a young age and how that has often been placed in opposition to his status as Black.
61 min
138
"Everyone has an accent"
In this episode, host JPB Gerald discusses accents with newly-minted PhD-holder Dr. Vijay Ramjattan, who has conducted considerable research on the topic. The dialogue focuses on how the word "accent" is used to marginalize and other, the best ways to describe one's accent or the accent of someone else, and the ways in which possessing certain accents mark racialized speakers as less valuable, with an eye towards finding a way to counteract this discrimination.
50 min
139
"The many acronyms of language education"
In this episode, host JPB Gerald and guest Lydia Villaronga discuss several acronyms within the field of language education, including ESL, ELL, TESOL, and others. Many of these acronyms seem harmless but serve primarly to marginalize and racialize, and in this conversation, these negative results are unpacked and pulled apart.
42 min
140
'Expats'
Welcome to Unstandardized English. In this inaugural episode, host JPB Gerald and guest Rob Sheppard discuss the word 'expat,' its meanings and implications, inclusions and exclusions. Ultimately, who is allowed to be considered an expat, and who isn't? What racial groups can be expats? Listen and find out!
51 min