The English You Need to Know: Language Ideology in a Citizenship Classroom.
Abstract This study examines the discursive construction of adequate English proficiency through error correction in citizenship classrooms. In particular, the microanalysis of corrective sequences demonstrates that such proficiency is viewed narrowly – as a practical tool for passing the naturalization interview and not necessarily a tool for broader functioning in the society. Hearable grammatical and phonological accuracy is constructed as a major component of the adequate command of English. The views on what it means to speak English well enough for the purposes of naturalization appear to be deeply rooted in the ideological notions of language for citizenship in the U.S.