Workshop: Problematising linguistic hierarchies, power, and labels.

In an unequal society, why is it important to question labels, assumptions and stereotypes? In social spaces, legitimacy and stereotypes can be supported by unquestioned assumptions about otherness. Language does not operate in a vacuum; it is always mediated by values, norms and conceptions of who is worthy of listening and being listened to. This interactive workshop will provoke discussion and critique of the issues raised above through the use of prompts informed by experience as teachers and researchers of languages and cultures.