Word rich or word poor? Deficit discourses, raciolinguistic ideologies and the resurgence of the ‘word gap’ in England’s education policy

Educational linguists across England and the USA have long critiqued deficit-based language ideologies in schools, yet since early 2010s, these enjoyed a marked resurgence England’s education policy as evident discourses, funding, pedagogical materials related to so-called ‘word gap.’ This article conceptualizes word gap realization of raciolinguistic which practices racialized, low-income disabled speakers are characterized deficient, limited, indeed, full gaps because they fail meet benchmarks designed by powerful white listeners. With genealogical approach, I trace how interventions tethered colonial logics (re)intensified recent years. draw on cluster data, including documents, Hansard records, political discourse, textbooks for teachers, research reports, media coverage work Ofsted, schools inspectorate. discuss durability England, newly marketed under seemingly benign guises scientific objectivity, social justice empowerment – despite decades criticism exposing it perpetuates racial class hierarchies whilst blaming marginalized their families apparent failure use right kind words.