Decolonizing Historical Linguistics in the Classroom and Beyond

Abstract The study of language variation and change is both one of the oldest areas of the scientific study of language, and one of the most global. Its origins (in European traditions) are steeped in Empire and colonialism. Yet it is also an important way to study relationships and dynamics between language and society. The field also contributes crucial insights from linguistics toward an understanding of how racist attitudes have been developed and justified by language. In this chapter, the authors discuss their experiences in decolonizing our classes in historical and introductory linguistics, as white instructors at two Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) on the East Coast of the United States, and we give examples of some activities that we used. We use these examples both to discuss how (and why) to improve the teaching of linguistic subfields which have been said to be “too hard” to decolonize, and as a chance to think through issues and approaches.