#LanguageDiscrimination
New research shows how automated speech-recognition technologies routinely fail to understand Aboriginal English, leaving many Indigenous Australians excluded from the everyday convenience others take for granted.

🔗 tinyurl.com/bdf2xfzd

🧵👇

#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
‘We gotta act white’: how voice recognition tech fails for Aboriginal English speakers
Voice-operated technology can’t cope with non-mainstream varieties of English.
tinyurl.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 2/4

The court ruled that denying ASL interpretation “presents a clear, present, & imminent harm” — excluding Deaf Americans from full participation in public discourse.

#langsky #linguistics #signlanguage #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication #ASL #languagediscrimination
November 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM
🧵 1/4

The National Association of the Deaf brought the case forward, citing the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects against discrimination by federal agencies.

#langsky #linguistics #signlanguage #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication #americansignlanguage #ASL #languagediscrimination
November 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM
🧵 7/7

This is a powerful reminder that inclusive AI means inclusive language technology — and that linguistic diversity must be designed into systems from the start, not treated as an add-on.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagediscrimination #hometalk #AboriginalEnglish
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 3/4

But what’s most striking here isn’t just the legal precedent — it’s the language politics behind it.

#langsky #linguistics #signlanguage #politicaldiscourse #politicalcommunication #americansignlanguage #ASL #languagediscrimination
November 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM
🧵 3/7

This isn’t just a technical issue — it’s a linguistic & cultural one.

When tech doesn’t understand Aboriginal English, speakers feel pressure to adjust their accent, vocabulary & rhythm.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagediscrimination #hometalk #AboriginalEnglish
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 6/6

In an era when EDI initiatives are stalling and minority languages are under renewed pressure, 'Wicked' offers a timely reflection on how linguistic norms shape inclusion.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🧵 3/6

Elphaba's corrections recast her as abrasive but also hint at something more human.

As an outsider, she must work harder to be taken seriously. Policing language becomes a bid for legitimacy.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
#LanguageBigots #LanguageDiscrimination

The reason I became an expert in Comparative Mythology... diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome #Aspie at age 39 ... #Autism And it struck me how incredibly shallow people are about language, communications. #ActuallyAutistic

#RoundSparrow

See image:
November 21, 2024 at 6:38 PM
🧵 3/

Wilson’s central argument is clear: This is not a technical oversight — it’s the product of emergency systems built through a colonial lens that assumes English & French as the default languages of safety.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination
December 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🧵 2/

For Elders and Indigenous-language-first speakers, this meant relying on family members, community radio hosts or Facebook translations during a fast-moving evacuation.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination
December 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🧵 1/

Despite the Northwest Territories recognising nine Indigenous languages, emergency alerts were issued only in English & French — even as nearly one in five residents in the region speak an Indigenous mother tongue.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination
December 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🧵 5/7

Biases coded into technology reflect biases in society: Just as Aboriginal English has long been stigmatised in schools, workplaces & public life, that marginalisation is now being reproduced by AI systems in kitchens, living rooms & cars.

#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 4/7

The emotional impact is real: Participants reported frustration, embarrassment, & even self-doubt, questioning whether they were at fault rather than the technology.

What should be convenient becomes exhausting linguistic labour.

#langsky #languagediscrimination #AboriginalEnglish
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 2/7

Technology is only as inclusive as the data it’s trained on: Most speech-recognition models rely on mainstream English datasets, meaning non-standard varieties are underrepresented.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagediscrimination #hometalk #AboriginalEnglish
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🧵 5/6

Popular culture mirrors real-world linguistic hierarchies:

From 'Friends' to 'Big Bang Theory', language enforcement often marks intelligence, authority or “properness.”

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🧵 4/6

Glinda, by contrast, corrects language only to protect her name.

Not to uphold grammar but to guard identity & status. A neat reminder that who gets to enforce rules & why is always political.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🧵 2/6

Accent, vocabulary, syntax & even pronunciation carry traces of place, class, race, age & identity.

Correctness becomes gatekeeping & those who don’t meet the standard risk judgement & exclusion.

#langsky #linguistics #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
🧵 1/6

Language correction communicates power and belonging.

When we insist on “proper” language, we’re not just fixing grammar — we’re signalling who fits & who falls outside accepted norms.

#langsky #linguistics #language #languagepolicy #languagediscrimination #languagepolicing #Wicked
December 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Trump made English official US language, revoking translation mandates & deepening access barriers. New report shows how #languagediscrimination denies ppl access to healthcare, justice, and safety. www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/lost-in... #HumanRights #LanguageRights #RightToAccess #HRRC
June 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Language discrimination can include accent bias, English-only rules, or harassment tied to native language. In Garden Grove and across Orange County, these practices may violate Title VII protections in the workplace.

#LanguageDiscrimination #OrangeCounty #GardenGrove #EmploymentLaw #TitleVII
March 16, 2026 at 7:03 AM
Language discrimination can include accent bias, English only workplace rules without business necessity, or harassment over how someone speaks. California law protects workers in Little Saigon from these practices.

#LanguageDiscrimination #LittleSaigon #EmployeeRights #CaliforniaLaw
March 7, 2026 at 6:44 AM