Host (Rebecca): Hello, and welcome to our podcast. In today’s podcast, we will discuss how teachers can diversify their classrooms linguistically through different classroom techniques. Let’s welcome our speakers to the podcast, Tim and Thomas, who will discuss the importance of student involvement in the classroom.

Guest 1 (Tim): Hello everyone! As a teacher, I believe that it is of the utmost importance to have an accepting classroom where every student feels comfortable and actively willing to participate. There are several strategies that teachers can use to get students more involved in the classroom. For example, teachers can make their lessons more interactive and hands-on through group activities or class discussions. Teachers can also give students more choices in what they learn and how they learn it, such as by offering project options or letting students choose their own reading materials. Throughout this process, we can provide positive reinforcement and recognition for student participation and achievement. By using techniques like these, teachers can create a more engaging and cooperative classroom environment that encourages students to take an active role in their own learning.

Host (Rebecca): Thank you, Tim, that is a great insight on how teachers can get students more involved. These three strategies should provide teachers with the opportunity to create a classroom environment that is not only comfortable for the students but is also open to engagement.

Guest 2 (Thomas): Another way that teachers can diversify their classroom is for them to understand the concept of translanguaging. Are you guys familiar with the term translanguaging?
Host(Rebecca): I am. But why don’t you explain the term to our listeners just in case they are not familiar?

Guest 2(Thomas): Okay so translanguaging is an approach to language pedagogy that affirms and leverages students’ diverse and dynamic language practices in teaching and learning. This will help benefit the diversity within classrooms linguistically because if the teacher recognizes the fact that their students may not understand the same language as them they can help them. I believe translanguaging can help us shift by making the students become more comfortable. The sooner we accept students and stop suppressing them for not speaking "proper" English we will see an increase in confidence, increase in communication and increase in socialization between students

Guest 1(Timothy): Yes I totally agree with Thomas. Some children come from a home where English is not their first language. This means they did not grow up speaking English the same way a native born English speaker did. Bilingual children may think and speak in a combination of their languages, as well as process information differently from those who only speak English. Moreover, they might have a different accent and intonation in comparison to Standard American English. Their English might have slight variations, but that does not make them dumber or less competent than their peers. It is important that the teacher recognizes this difference and accepts the students’, so they will not feel isolated and misunderstood. And if the classroom is able to talk about languages and cultures then maybe a student can help another student with their English by translating to the same language that they may speak.

Host(Rebecca): So how can we as teachers motivate students to express their language and culture?

Guest 1(Timothy): A way to incorporate language and culture within the classroom would be through class activities. Teachers can create activities that encourage students to use all their languages. This way, not only would the teacher learn more about their students’ cultures, but also the other students as well. One activity a teacher could incorporate is creating a ‘Profile Page’. Here the students can use their languages to describe themselves and write about what makes them who they are. This can include writing about what languages they speak, what’s their favorite traditions, what’s their favorite sports, what’s their favorite food etc. Students can use this information to find similarities and differences among themselves. This can foster understanding and create bonds between students. This may prevent students from feeling isolated from their peers.

Guest 2(Thomas): It is also important that the younger generation of teachers help educate the older generation of teachers who may not be familiar with the concept of translanguaging . A good way to incorporate unaware teachers is by holding a faculty wide discussion. Teachers who are educated on the topic of translanguaging can speak to their fellow coworkers about the positive benefits of adapting their pedagogy based on the different types of students in their classroom. Teachers leading the discussion can incorporate anecdotes of bilingual students, as well as shine light on the negative effects of when multilingual students are ignored. After this discussion, staff can ask questions and share their opinions on how to cater to all their students. They can also propose what changes they can make in order for all their students to feel accepted and understood. Even if some teachers are not willing to make any changes yet, they will still be aware that some of their students might be different, but that does not mean they are any less capable or smart compared to their solely English speaking peers.

Host (Rebecca): Wow that is a great insight! Educating co-workers is a wonderful way for students to feel safe within all classrooms because then they will have reliable adults that they can depend on. What else can teachers do to help their students feel more confident within the classroom?

Guest 1(Timothy): I can answer this one. Some students struggle with traditional participation. This is when the teacher poses a question and the students raise their hand if they know the answer. There are some students that are outgoing and have no problem raising their hand, but there are also students who are shy and may feel uncomfortable having all that attention on them. So as a teacher, what can we do to ensure that all students participate and are comfortable doing it? One option is to expand the limits of what is classified as participation. A teacher can create their own guidelines for participation. For example, if students were not able to answer a question in class, they can still get participation credit by reflecting on what they learned in an online discussion forum. This way, the teacher can see that the students are actively paying attention in class and are digesting the information that was discussed. Additionally, teachers can create groups during class and have members of each group decide what role they have in an assignment/activity. For instance, one student can be the designated spokesperson for the group and another student can be in charge of note-taking for the group. This way students can actively engage with the material in ways they are comfortable for them.

Guest 2(Thomas): Wow what a great way to encourage your students to participate in your classroom. On another note, a way to include students to see how they’re using their language is to let them create their own language landscape.

Host(Rebecca): For people who don’t know, what would a language landscape look like?

Guest 2(Thomas): A linguistic landscape is an activity that lets the students reflect on different aspects of their day-to-day interactions. It can be in the form of a chart and may include thoughts such as: Who did I talk to? When was it? What time of day? Where was the conversation? What medium did you use? (Such as google translate, emojis, phone call, text, facetime, or in person.) What did you talk about? And why? What was the purpose of the conversation? All these concepts let the students really break down their conversations and let them reflect on who they feel confident talking to in their different languages.

Guest 1(Timothy): This activity is great! Would you make it a homework assignment or an in class assignment?

Guest 2(Thomas): I see it as something that can be incorporated into both. I would assign it to them for homework so they can have conversations at home and work on it at home. And then I would let my class present their conversations to their classmates. I would also have conversation starters for the students to ask in case they are not sure of what to ask.

Host(Rebecca): And what conversation starters would you have?

Guest 2(Thomas): What kinds of interactions do you have more/less frequently? What kinds of things do you talk the most/least about? What kinds of language do you use more/less frequently? What did you learn about your linguistic landscape(s)? How far does it go? How does it connect to your identities?

Guest 1(Timothy): I think my favorite question starter is the last one on how it connects to their identities.

Host(Rebecca): Yes I totally agree. It really ties into what parts of their identities are unique or maybe similar to their classmates. This can help students bond and also learn about what makes each of them different from one another. I think it also sparks curiosity within the students and may even encourage a conversation to happen between one another. Now, we mentioned earlier about letting the students take more of an interest in what they learn in the classroom. Tell me more about it
Guest 1(Timothy): Yeah so there is this way of teaching that is called the facilitator approach. Are you guys familiar with it?

Guest 2(Thomas): Yeah I think so. Isn’t it when a teacher believes that his or her students arrive at the school doors already in possession of a great deal of knowledge and understanding.

Guest 1(Timothy): Yes exactly.

Host(Rebecca): Fascinating, please continue. I'm not familiar.

Guest 1(Timothy): Sure thing. To get into more detail about it, the teacher, acting as facilitator, places a great deal of emphasis on students as persons. With this approach, students already have a great deal of knowledge, as well as understanding, even before they are taught new information. The teacher takes a humanistic approach to teaching, where feelings and learning go hand and hand. The teacher asks students to question things, rather than simply have the answer given to them. By doing this, the teacher promotes self-discovery and develops problem-solving skills in students, which can lead to deeper understanding

Host(Rebecca): Wow, so the teacher is basically teaching life skills within the lesson plan without the students even realizing.

Guest 1(Timothy): Yes exactly. It encourages more curiosity to foster within the classroom setting and allows the classroom to efficiently move through lessons that everyone is already familiar with.
Host(Rebecca): What would you say the strengths are for this approach to teaching?

Guest 2(Thomas): Correct me if I am wrong on this Timothy, but I believe that there are many strengths to this approach. You get to see the students as individual people and not just as empty minds waiting to be fed information. The teacher will show considerable regard for who their students are: their histories, experiences, needs and wants, fears and interests, and their strengths and shortcomings → in the end it conveys equal respect, and there is constant positive feedback → which helps self-confidence to soar.

Guest 1(Timothy): You hit the nail right on the head.

Host(Rebecca): So now we know to see the students as individual people, who have knowledge and understanding of the topic because they will share with us what they already know. This will allow an accepting environment, which will make every student feel comfortable and willing to actively participate and learn.

Guest 1(Timothy): Wow I have to say this was a really responsive and beneficial conversation. I really enjoyed speaking with you guys.

Guest 2(Thomas): Yeah bouncing ideas off each other really helped and I know I will make sure to use the information I learned and implement it within my classroom.

Host(Rebecca): Guys I am so grateful that you could make it today to chat with me and our audience. I am hoping that everyone learned something new today. I hope that teachers have learned how to involve their students within their lessons and classroom and I hope that students listening to this found new ways to interact with others within their classrooms. Maybe give a few suggestions to your teacher on the different ways to participate and how to diversify the learning approaches they take within your classroom. I am hopeful for the future generations of students and teachers. This is Rebecca, Timothy and Thomas signing off!