Olivia: Welcome to today’s episode of our podcast Identity and Language: A Talk with Future Teachers. I am Olivia, a sophomore and I’m in the STEP Program for childhood education and psychology, and today, we will have four guest speakers joining us, please introduce yourselves.
Kaileigh: Hi, I’m Kaileigh. I’m a junior in the STEP Program for childhood education and my major is psychology.
Kaelyn: Hi, my name is Kaeyln, I’m a sophomore in the STEP Program for elementary education and my major is also psychology
Dylan: Hi, my name is Dylan, I’m a sophomore and my major is physical education.
Tooba: Hi, I’m Tooba. I am a senior at Adelphi and my major is Exercise Science.
Olivia: Great! Let's get started. On today’s episode we are going to be talking about a topic that affects all of us in different ways: how language affects a students identity. From elementary school all the way to college, language isn’t just the way we communicate, it is closely linked to who we are and how we see ourselves. Does anyone want to start by explaining a little bit about language?
Kaelyn: Sure! I feel like language is a system of communication that uses sounds, gestures, and/or written forms to convey meaning. Language has a huge effect on our life as it influences not only how we communicate with others, but also how we perceive the world around us.
Kaileigh: I agree. I feel like our languages are a source of personal pride and connection to our heritage. I believe this plays a central role in shaping identity and sense of self. Language affects a sense of belonging, cultural connection, and self-expression.
Dylan: Exactly, I feel like it is important to look at language from a linguistic perspective, as it is not just a system of communication, but rather a way to express who we are, where we come from, and how we act in the world.
Tooba: I completely agree. Adding on to that, language has many different aspects including speech patterns, accents, dialects, and even word choice. All of these things reveal crucial details about upbringing, level of education, and social status. This influences how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves, shaping our social identity.
Olivia: I even think that these different aspects that you brought up regarding language really shape who we are as well. For example, if we look at dialects, many people feel a strong connection to their family’s native language. This can affect how they view themselves, shaping their identity.
Kaelyn: I think that is a really great point. One of the biggest ways that language influences our lives is the impact that it has on our identity. The language we speak connects to our cultural identity, which reflects our values, beliefs, and traditions.
Kaileigh: When I think about identity, I think of the way that a person sees themselves as well as the way that they are perceived by others. There are lots of factors that can influence and affect identity, such as family, community, and culture, but I definitely agree that language connects to our identity.
Dylan: Language and identity affect everyone, however I think that for students, language is one of the first ways that they are perceived by others. This perception by others can be both good or bad, depending on the situation. This can be a hard situation if a child’s language doesn’t fit into their school’s dominant culture, leaving them to feel left out or judged by others.
Tooba: I think that is a really great point. This can be really hard on a student if not many people at their school speak the same language as them, and if the school is pushing them to learn a different language. Many schools try to force English on students, and don’t respect their native language. Although this is sad, this tends to happen more than we think.
Olivia: Students tend to feel very judged and almost inferior to others when their accents or the way they speak English aren’t the same as their teachers or classmates. This can cause them to feel ashamed of their native language, affecting their identity and the way that they view themselves.
Kaelyn: I agree and think that language plays a big role in whether or not students feel understood and accepted in school. Teachers or other students often make students feel self-conscious about their speech, making them feel less confident in class.
Kaileigh: This is why I think it’s so important that teachers validate their students by making them feel welcome no matter what language they speak. Doing this can have such a positive impact on their self-esteem, making them feel more welcome and confident about themselves in school.
Dylan: I completely agree with this. I feel like if students are able to embrace the language that they speak and not be looked down upon for it then they will feel better about themselves and school as well.
Tooba: I think that a lot of people don’t realize that language can come with feelings of pride, but also feelings of shame if people make them feel that way. Going back to different dialects of languages, there are so many variations of certain languages. Some of these dialects are stigmatized when it comes to educational settings, which is unfair.
Olivia: I agree, people should be able to speak whatever dialect that they like, and shouldn’t be looked down upon for it. It is common for educators and other people to feel that there are “proper” ways to speak English, which is not the case. We shouldn’t label certain dialects or ways that people speak as “correct” or “proper”, because that is not justified.
Kaelyn: Exactly, this can make people feel bad or inferior to others for speaking different ways. We need to challenge these old assumptions that there are “correct” ways to speak, and look at language in a different way. We need to allow students to express themselves in any way they want, and not push them to speak English a certain way.
Kaileigh: I think we should create spaces where students can express themselves no matter what language they speak or the culture they’re a part of. Whether this be by celebrating different cultures' holidays, teaching words in different languages, or hosting club events that can allow more students to feel accepted, teachers should be doing something to make their students feel more accepted.
Olivia: I think that is a really great idea! By doing this, all students can feel welcome no matter their background. My high school did something similar to this, as twice a year they hosted International Night, where families were able to set up tables that represented their culture, and others could come and walk around and learn about it. They had activities and music playing, so that people could really embrace all of the different cultures. Additionally, people were able to bring their cultures food, so others could try, and become more educated about people with different backgrounds. I feel like all schools should have something like this, so that all students can feel accepted. Do any of you guys have any personal experiences that can relate to anything we talked about during this episode?

Kaileigh: Yeah I can share my experience! My high school also had a similar event. Every year we would host a World Language Festival where all the foreign language classes and clubs prepared activities and foods specific to their language and culture. Everyone from the community was invited, it was a big event. I feel like this was a great experience because growing up in Massapequa, a predominantly English-speaking town, I didn’t have much experience of linguistic diversity. Although there were definitely students who knew second languages, I was always surrounded by English speakers. I did not see multilingualism in school until I was in middle school. In my school district all students were required to study a foreign language throughout middle school. We were able to choose Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, or ASL. We were also given the choice if they want to continue or drop their foreign language throughout high school. I chose Spanish and continued it until I graduated high school. From what I remember, the only time I really heard other languages besides English was near and inside the foreign language classrooms. Taking Spanish as a foreign language and attending The World Language Festival were definitely great learning experiences for me.

Kaelyn: I have had an experience in high school while teaching a preschool class, and none of the teachers knew how to pronounce one of the kid’s names. I think it is so important for teachers to use correct name pronunciation in the classroom, especially because it only takes a few minutes to learn how to say someone's name, and it means a lot to the child. If a student is getting called the wrong name their entire childhood by their teachers, how will they resonate with their real name? I also believe that pronunciation of names can shape someone’s identity based on their background or ethnicity.

Olivia: I think those are all really great points. I think we had a really productive conversation talking about how language affects a students identity. It was really great to hear all of your inputs and personal experiences. Thank you all for joining us on today's episode of Identity and Language: A Talk with Future Teachers, we really appreciate your time and don’t forget to share it with your family and friends!