When & Where: I read inimical tonight in a chapter by Tatum (2011) entitled, "Diversity in Literacy" in the Samuels and Farstrup's (eds., 2011) What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction (4th ed.). This is the new literacy program text that will be taking the place of The Handbook. Tatum (2011) writes, "A failure to become astute about [various factors']...impact [on] educational outcomes not only becomes inimical of students of color, but to the nation..." (p. 429).
Level of Familiarity: I do believe I have seen this word before. I know I have never used it. I had difficulty trying to ascertain it's meaning in context, but my best guess was that it was related to the idea of disadvantage.
What it Means: Dictionary.com defines inimical as "likely to cause damage or have a bad effect."
Reflective Commentary: This is a really good example of academic vocabulary in the discipline of literacy education. It is not content vocabulary that can be associated with a given "thing" related to literacy, but rather it is a word used in research-focused texts, uncommon in other contexts. I can definitely see myself using this word, especially since so much of my writing and teaching deals with the ways that certain voices are privileged while others are silenced in educational settings. In my recent experiences with Common Core Assessments, I would certainly say that standard-setting methodologies are inimical to students, teachers, and administrators. This is a word I would like to remember.
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