When Silence Speaks: Power, Marginalization, and Latinx Immigrant Students in Dual Language Classrooms

Abstract

Dual-language bilingual education (DLBE) programs are designed to foster bilingualism, biliteracy, and sociocultural competence while affirming the languages and identities of language-minoritized students. However, systemic inequities can undermine these goals, particularly when DLBE programs begin to serve more intersectionally privileged, English-speaking families at the expense of low-income, immigrant students. Building on critical listening as a tool for equity, this article argues for deeper attention to the role of silence among Latinx immigrant emergent bilingual students. Drawing on ethnographic data from two southeastern U.S. schools, it explores how silence is socially produced, perceived, and reinforced within DLBE classrooms. Findings reveal that silence often reflects both the power imbalances in classroom dynamics and students’ critical responses to these conditions. Rather than merely a lack of participation, silence emerges as a means of preserving identity and dignity. The article calls for educators to critically examine the privileged status of talk, reflect on their biases, and cultivate critical listening as a sociocultural skill. Without such reflection, DLBE programs risk unintentionally reproducing the inequities they seek to dismantle.

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