“And it Really Has Changed My Perspective on Language as a Whole”: Students’ Perceptions of Linguistic Justice in the First-Year Writing Classroom

Kelby Gibson

Advisor: Courtney Adams Wooten, PhD, Department of English

Committee Members: Susan Lawrence, Doug Eyman

Horizon Hall, #4225, https://gmu.zoom.us/j/94243121742?pwd=aOm0C7pqm3B2Up40ZD1bmqZTPFrlbS.1
April 27, 2026, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Abstract:

While there is much work theorizing the best approach to language difference in first-year writing and other college writing courses (ex. Inoue, 2021; Lovejoy et al., 2018; Shapiro, 2022), there are few studies (Cavazos, 2019; Park, 2023) documenting and reporting first-year writing students’ perceptions of language difference and linguistic justice. This dissertation project aims to fill this gap in writing studies research by surveying and interviewing students in first-year writing courses at George Mason University about linguistic justice work.

George Mason University is a Minority Serving Institution with an incredibly diverse student population where many students are multilingual or have been exposed to language differences prior to entering college. And yet, many of these students have not yet been encouraged to embrace their language differences in writing. Students’ literacy sponsors– those most often mentioned being family, schools, and communities–influence their beliefs about language and language difference. This study reports on the results of pre and post surveys as well as 11 individual semi-structured interviews with students to answer the research questions: 1) What are George Mason FYW students’ perceptions of language and language difference? 2) What are George Mason students’ experiences with language and how can they influence the ways students view language difference in their first-year writing courses? and 3) Does teaching linguistic justice in first-year writing change George Mason students’ perceptions of language and language difference, and if so, how?

Both the quantitative and qualitative data in this study show changes in students’ beliefs over the semester. The data showed that while many students came into their writing courses at Mason being exposed to diverse language environments, many still shifted their thinking over the semester. Survey data also shows students’ understanding of good writing reflect rhetorically aware writing than writing that utilizes standardized English. Students reported that they see their identities and language as connected. In class practices that students felt increased their understanding of linguistic justice and helped them understand what was important for their writing were shared readings on linguistic justice and discussion of these readings as well as a de-emphasis on grammar instruction in feedback on their own work and in peer review; interestingly, several students also reported they did not feel like their non-writing courses required standardized English in writing, which points to one area for further study. Based on interview data I suggest more critical discussion of literacy sponsorship and linguistic justice as a concept in the writing classroom. The findings of this study reinforce the importance of linguistic justice work in the first-year writing classroom from the students’ perspectives. Based on this data, I argue for linguistic justice concepts to be incorporated into the curriculum of first-year writing courses. To push the work of linguistic justice further instructors should recognize the place it has in the first-year writing classroom to help writers better understand their rhetorical choices.