The Metalanguage Mindset: The First Step to Disrupting Linguistic Bias and Building Connections in Multilingual Classrooms

Presenters:

• Dr. Lillian Ardell, Founder of Language Matters LLC
• Maya Valencia Goodall, Chief Marketing Officer, CORE Digital Products
• Kristie Shelley, Chief Product Officer, CORE Digital Products

Words matter — especially in the classroom. When teachers and students come from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the language we choose can become a bridge. Our classrooms are vibrant communities where diverse languages and cultures meet. Recognizing and leveraging this diversity helps us understand and meet the needs of multilingual students and strengthens trust and connection between the student and teacher. The first step to creating the bridge is awareness.

How can you develop this awareness? It begins with adopting a metalanguage mindset. CORE Learning’s Maya Goodall leads a conversation with Dr. Lillian Ardell, founder of Language Matters, as they discuss the power of the metalanguage mindset for teachers in language-diverse classrooms and how small changes in how we talk and listen can make a big difference.

In this first session of CORE Learning’s Structured Literacy and Language Diversity Week: Spring ’24 Series, learn how a metalanguage mindset can help you:

• Connect Deeply with Students: Learn how to consciously use language that positively frames linguistic diversity as an asset.
• Identify and Reduce Biases: Spot and mitigate unconscious linguistic biases to create a more fair and welcoming classroom.
• Implement Inclusive Teaching Practices: Ensure every student receives the instruction they need and deserve.

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