Language as Power: A Critical Analysis of Arizona’s English Language Proficiency Standards
Abstract
This policy analysis critiques the Structured English Immersion (SEI) program in Arizona, arguing that the 2019 English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) function as systemic barriers rather than tools for equity. While the program promotes principles such as asset-based expectations and integrated instruction, this analysis shows a fundamental conflict between these requirements and the linguistic reality of learners in the U.S.–Mexico border region. By connecting state policy to translanguaging as a literacy framework, this work examines how rigid models, such as the Pull-Out Model, prioritize monolingual compliance over learners’' natural linguistic strengths. The article concludes that achieving true linguistic agency requires a shift from compliance-based assessment to principles that support the learner. Finally, this analysis shows how leveraging digital tools and research-based perspectives can help dismantle the state’s reliance on rigid, time-based metrics.
Keywords
Structured English Immersion (SEI), Language Policy & Planning, Critical Literacy, Arizona English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), Linguistic Agency, Translanguaging
How to Cite
terrell, j., (2026) “Language as Power: A Critical Analysis of Arizona’s English Language Proficiency Standards”, Journal of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (JSLAT) 32, 157–177. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jslat.11195
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