Who gets to decide what “proper” English sounds like? What does it mean to teach language without erasing identity? And how does classroom talk quietly shape belonging, authority, and possibility?

Today’s guest is Anne Pomerantz, Associate Professor in Educational Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Her work examines language in classrooms and communities, focusing on how discourse shapes identity, power, and participation. Drawing on sociolinguistics and applied linguistics, she studies how teachers and students negotiate meaning, authority, and belonging through everyday interaction.

Anne’s scholarship bridges theory and practice, helping educators see language not as a neutral tool, but as a deeply social force that structures opportunity.

In this episode, Anne and I explore how language functions far beyond grammar and vocabulary. We discuss how “standard” language ideologies develop, why certain accents and speech patterns are privileged, and how those hierarchies affect students’ confidence and access to opportunity. Anne explains how classroom conversations reveal hidden assumptions about intelligence, respectability, and competence.

We also dive into multilingualism, language learning, and the lived experiences of students navigating multiple linguistic worlds. Anne challenges the idea that linguistic difference is a deficit, instead framing it as an asset that expands cognitive and cultural horizons. Our conversation highlights how subtle classroom interactions can either affirm identity or marginalize it.

Ultimately, this episode invites us to rethink what it means to teach language. It is not only about correctness or fluency. It is about listening closely, noticing power, and creating spaces where every voice carries weight.