April is National Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month. Celebration goes beyond performance when we take action. With that in mind, here are 10 actions that we can take to advocate for multilingual learners in education settings:
Intentionally recognize and value the linguistic diversity of students in the classroom and of all members of the school community.
Encourage students and families to maintain their home languages and cultures (for example, welcome and support translanguaging as well as other cross-linguistic and cross-cultural strategies).
Provide instruction and support in students' home language(s) and English.
Develop and implement culturally and linguistically sustaining teaching practices.
Use materials and resources that reflect the cultures and experiences of multilingual learners.
Partner with families and communities to support student learning.
Advocate for multilingual learners' access to educational resources and opportunities (including access to advanced coursework, extracurricular activities, and recognitions).
Promote multilingualism and cultural diversity within the school and wider community (think beyond the potluck).
Seek out and attend professional development opportunities to improve knowledge and skills related to working with multilingual learners (topics that specifically address linguistic diversity are glaringly missing even from conferences and events that center equity, this is on my list of future writing topics).
Collaborate with other educators, administrators, and policymakers to create policies and programs that reject assimilation ideologies and support multilingual learners through an asset lens.
Bilingualism, multilingualism, and multiculturalism broaden our thinking and help us better understand and appreciate the diverse world around us. Advocating for multilingualism is a powerful way to ensure a more peaceful, empathetic, and just world.
Celebrando y haciendo bulla este y todos los meses,
Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims
Co-owner and Lead Consultant
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