Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English Composition
Department
English
First Advisor
Vickers, Caroline H.
Second Advisor
Smith, Wendy B.
Third Advisor
Carlson, David J.
Abstract
This thesis aims to investigate the issues surrounding California's Proposition 227, an important language policy passed in June of 1998 which drastically limited bilingual education. This proposition requires that all public school systems be in English only. Using a method known as Critical Discourse Analysis, this study exposes the underlying bias embedded in the discourse of newspaper articles from: the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, and the Sacramento Bee. After analyzing articles from these newspapers various themes emerged which indicated that each newspaper adhered to either assimilationists' position which is conservative, or a pluralist position which is backed by liberals.
Recommended Citation
Gomez, Steven, "A critical discourse analysis of language policy in California" (2012). Theses Digitization Project. 4141.
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/4141
