Canada’s Official Languages Act, Border Imperialism, and the Surface Tension of Water

Authors

  • Sonia Martin York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29731

Keywords:

lingustic borders, language policy, raciolingustics, language-based discrimination, critical race theory

Abstract

This paper examines how Canada’s Official Languages Act (OLA) reinforces the socio-political constructs of language barriers and linguistic borders. Questions addressed are: in Canada, who do linguistic borders serve, how do linguistic borders function, and what are the effects of linguistic borders? The theoretical framework draws from raciolinguistics and border imperialism. The method, a socio-diagnostic critique, juxtaposes the discursive practices of the OLA with border governance strategies. Results highlight how linguistic border governance creates the conditions for language-based discrimination to thrive. The paper concludes with a call to disinvest from the OLA, and a turning toward the water-language connection.

Author Biography

Sonia Martin, York University

Sonia Martin is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at York University in Canada. Her trans-disciplinary research focuses on anti-colonial, anti-racist language practices for international education. Sonia is interested in the relationship between water and language and what it can teach us about socially just language practices.

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Published

2024-06-13

How to Cite

Martin, S. (2024). Canada’s Official Languages Act, Border Imperialism, and the Surface Tension of Water. Language and Literacy, 26(2), 54–75. https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29731

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2024): Special Issue: 2022 & 2023 Pre-Conference of LLRC

Section

Articles

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