Unpacking the “C” in CLA: Enacting Our Commitment to Linguistic Access, Asset, and Agency

In this article, I consider what the word “critical” means when it comes to approaches to language difference in the teaching of writing. Drawing on decades of scholarship in Critical Language Awareness (CLA) and related lines of inquiry, I highlight three values at the heart of criticality: access, asset, and agency, offering reflection questions that help us think through the pedagogical implications of each value. I discuss how these three values counterbalance one another, and illustrate how those values play out in a course I teach entitled “English Grammar: Concepts and Controversies.” I conclude with suggestions for other practitioners looking to incorporate CLA-informed approaches to language in their curriculum and instruction.