Intro:
Olivia: Hi everyone! My name is Olivia
Vetisa: My name is Vetisa!
Olivia: Welcome to our podcast!! Today we will be discussing ways we can promote multilingualism, bilingualism, and translanguaging in a diverse classroom while including Universal Design for Learning so that our students can have an exciting and diverse experience!
Vetisa: So some ways we can promote multilingualism, bilingualism and translanguaging would be through multilingual instruction. What is multilingual instruction you might ask? Multilingualism instruction provides learning materials like worksheets, books, lessons, and online tools in different languages so everyone can understand at their comfort level all while peers who aren’t used to that language, can gain knowledge of others' backgrounds/languages!
Olivia: That is great! I love the fact that all their learning resources are in different languages so that students can become familiar with other languages and students who speak those languages are comfortable completing the assignment, or reading their book at their comfort level! Another idea that I had for our classroom while promoting UDL was ‘flexible language options.’ This gives our students the ability to be involved with new knowledge about other cultures, languages, and backgrounds! It also allows students to express themselves through their culture and preferred language.
Vetisa: I really think ‘flexible language options’ is an awesome idea for our classroom! Students will be able to feel comfortable in a diverse classroom environment and not feel ashamed about who they are and where they come from! Having ‘Language Partners or Classmate Support’ would also motivate students to work in pairs with another student who does not speak the same language as them. They are able to feel comfortable in their small groups and have the opportunity to learn from each other and practice translanguaging, and bilingualism.
Olivia: That is so true! I think we should definitely use that in our classroom! Students open up the more comfortable they feel! Another super important way to promote these language practices would be through Community Engagement! If we foster engagement through the students' families and organizations in their community, this will allow support for our students' language development. This could be both inside and outside the classroom and offer cultural events or access to community resources in multiple languages! Students should be able to see the diversity that not only goes on in our classrooms but in the community, and worldwide as well!
Vetisa:That is all for our podcast !! We hope that our classroom can make a difference in the future for all schools. Students should be able to be in an environment that promotes these language practices. By implementing inclusive strategies like universal design for learning, our classroom can foster an atmosphere of students feeling valued, supported and empowered to succeed no matter what language they speak in. Thank you for tuning in, and remember, together we can shape a brighter future for education.