Reorienting Language as a Resource - Article Analysis Essay

Introduction

Richard Ruiz, a persistent leader in education theory and research, set three orientations about language. He used the language as a right, a remedy and as a problem. Since then, the directions embraced became stronger not only in the paradigm level but also in the field of language planning and policy. Upon Ruiz's work, he also used another scholar that he inspired to unpack the aligned ideas under the orientation to reflect on the three adjustments of language. In contrast to his critiques, the three directions were discovered to lack the connection onto the political policy situations.

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The purpose of this article was to emphasize whether language as a resource could be configured or set as a predisposition. The author relates the issue by showing how the words 'frame' or 'paradigm' evoke the normative orientations. To do this Ruiz used two individuals that had the same language expression to show how their language could have a different meaning altogether (Ruiz, 2010 p. 159). To clarify this statement, the author used Ricento to explain why the variations appeared. Ruiz proved that language-as-resource has always been used by individuals that wanted to promote and develop the use of the heritage languages primarily as a military or economic construct. Helpfully the author showed that language-as-resource detaches itself from its ethnic and cultural foundations by advancing its value as well as serving as the interest of community languages.

Ruiz's assumption came from Petrovic and Ricento because Ethier view created a push towards the rationale of the maintenance of the minority language. This language not only did it benefit the global expansion and capitalistic trade pf the group but also maintained the cultural identities and primary language of the minority groups. The theoretical concept used came from full proposals of language policy. For instance, he used -South Africa to apartheid the language policy test under the basis of multilingualism is a fact of life that accepts language as a resource (Ruiz, 2010 p. 164). According to Ruiz, the following language policy and a new constitution were the central parts of reconciliation programs began by Mandela as a National Congress party. Black language to be precise was devalued because the lingua francas solved its problem.

To facilitate his points, Ruiz used the six dimensions that show how language was conceptualized through social, rights, citizenship, economic, cultural and intellectual resource. From Ricent's response, Ruiz thought that it the dimensions had vital aspects that revitalized the heritage language found in Scotland. The author also used the sizes to promote the expressions found in the U.S even though Bianco's concept was developed independently. During this analysis, the author never made any errors because he also posited the relationship between language-as-right and language-as-resource (Ruiz, 2010 p. 164). In short, unless a person finds language as a right, it is impossible to see the good it underlies within. This statement meant that if an individual claimed that they had the right to get an education through their mother tongue, then they must access their mother tongue.

When this argument is observed, it was made over and over again due to the minority and indigenous communities. For instance when language is viewed as a problem and not a resource, then something was eliminated from the city. Ruiz gave an example of multilingualism and how it was seen as a problem in Africa. The logic behind this was that the language policies were designed from the language-as-problem concept. The conclusion also shows that even though the African language was used to humiliate children from the colonial world, it was also a powerful reminder. Therefore, it is clear that the original expression of language-as-resource was naively and conceptualized merely to preserve the discourse which assumed that the minorities' communities and language had disadvantages to both the society and speakers.

The preoccupation of the author was to promote alternatives that would exclude the importance of language planning when it comes to language rights. In the preceding pages, Ruiz elaborated issues on language-as-resource through arguments derived from Ricento's criticism. Through this, the author reflected on concerns that revolved around the economic terms, the value of the minority languages and why they are seen as a non-existing or negligible as compared to the dominant words. Even though Ruiz's criticism of language-as-resource was hard, they were also friendly. This is because most concepts were derived from an intent concern that not only is the resource model noble but also had a common interest when it comes to the corrections of the distortions that subverted the promotion of social justice and cultural democracy (Ruiz, 2010 p. 168). The author also had the same agreement with Bianco's argument when he used the six dimensions. Even though time was taken to notice the potential of the languages as formalized in scientific laboratories and classrooms, it also had a general value for cultural and social integration.

Conclusion

Reorienting language-as-resource was a concept created by Ruiz to show why language is important. He used several idea including from other scholars to prove that if communication was conceptualized, it could bring a lot of value to communities. By using Ricento's and Bianco's concept, the author ensured that word was used as a resource.

References

Ruiz, R., 2010. Reorienting language-as-resource. In Petrovic, J (ed) International perspectives on bilingual education: Policy, practice, and controversy, pp.155-172. Charlotte (NC): Information Age Publishing