English Learner as an Intersectional Identity

Abstract

English learners’ (ELs’) opportunity gap in U.S. K–12 schools is well known. While many of us in the field of applied linguistics are committed to achieving greater parity for ELs, the field as a whole has a propensity to approach this opportunity gap by addressing ELs’ linguistic needs. This response, however, is siloed in nature, resulting in tunnel vision that reduces ELs into a single identity—that is, language learners—when in fact they are also at the intersection of multiple identities, such as students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities. By applying an intersectionality lens to three examples from research and practice to illustrate how ELs’ intersectional identities create inequalities beyond language barriers, we urge those in the field of applied linguistics to collaborate with educators, policymakers, and researchers in other fields to address the linguistic and nonlinguistic barriers that ELs face in their educational journey.