Ellis: 00:00

Three.

Mikayla: 00:03

Hi, guys. Welcome back to AU Multilingualism. Today, in this episode, we'll be discussing translanguaging and its importance to students. And we're here with Mikayla.

Vincent: 00:13

Ellis. Vincent Wong.

Ellis: 00:17

And our Ariana, who unfortunately couldn't make it.

Mikayla: 00:23

So first and the first segment we're gonna be talking about is understanding multilingualism.

Ellis: 00:31

First, let's talk about multilingualism. Did did you know that more than half of the world

Mikayla: 00:37

We can't copy that exactly because that's Wait.

Ellis: 00:40

Wait. So we're just going based off?

Mikayla: 00:43

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Ellis: 00:45

Okay. So who's gonna are you gonna start off each segment, or and then we'll just add to it? Or

Mikayla: 00:51

I guess. I'll just bullshit a little bit.

Vincent: 00:53

Okay.

Ellis: 00:54

Okay. Okay. Ready? Yeah. So we're restarting from the top.

Ellis: 00:58

Right? Mhmm. Mhmm. Okay. Ready?

Ellis: 01:01

Go.

Mikayla: 01:04

Hi, guys. Welcome back to the AU Multilingualism Podcast. In this episode, we're gonna be discussing translanguaging and its importance to students. And we're here with Mikaela. Ellis.

Vincent: 01:15

Vincent.

Ellis: 01:16

And our editor, Ariana, who unfortunately couldn't make it.

Mikayla: 01:21

So the first segment of our podcast of translanguaging and its importance to students, we're gonna talk about multilingualism. Multilingualism is a big part of the schooling system in recent times because most students speak more than one language, whether it's at home or at school.

Ellis: 01:41

I think that I remember in elementary school that they'd never really had, like, different languages as class until middle school, but it was only, like, Spanish class. But in elementary school, we only had one for each grade, there was only one dual language class. But I thought it was weird because, like, foreigner kids, like, they didn't speak the same language, and they would have a harder time to understand. You know what I mean?

Mikayla: 02:08

Yeah. No. I know exactly what you mean. And it's so weird that more schools don't support bilingualism and multilingualism because more than half the world speaks more than one language. So you would think I don't know.

Mikayla: 02:21

At least in my school experience, we had four languages we could choose from, which I feel like is a little better than just having Spanish. Like, we had French, Italian, sign language, which I thought was cool, and Spanish, which I took Spanish, but I know a lot of kids really enjoyed taking Spanish, especially if they were native Spanish speakers, because it felt like there was like a closer knit community there.

Vincent: 02:47

For me, my experience in the language in school was really interesting because depending on the teacher who's teaching the class, whether it was in middle school or high school, the class varied in difficulty. So we had Spanish, French, and Mandarin as the other languages we could choose. But most of the students chose Mandarin or Spanish because those were the two easier classes. And French, from what I remember, only had, like, five students by the time they chose their language. Yeah.

Vincent: 03:33

So it was really interesting.

Mikayla: 03:35

Mhmm. Yeah. French was least popular at my school too.

Ellis: 03:39

I think also for, like like, from elementary all the way to high school, there were kids where, like, there would be ESL programs, but I feel like it made some of the kids feel, like, inferior because they would, like, pull them out of classes, you know, like, for their own separate times. And they would, like, miss out on the work that was being done in class. So I feel like it it probably made them feel that type of way because it was specifically them and not, like, a whole class. You know?

Mikayla: 04:07

Yeah. I agree. I had friends who were in the ESL program. And, like, when we were younger, like, we didn't really know what was going on. But when we're older, we actually talked about it.

Mikayla: 04:16

And this one friend specifically I have, she told me that and it made her feel like an outsider, and it made her feel, like, isolated because all the kids were like, where are you going? Like, what are you doing? Why can't you just stay in class? You know? It's probably not a good feeling, especially as a little kid.

Vincent: 04:34

Yeah. I think a lot of students don't really understand that other, like, transfer student that came from another place doesn't really know the language well enough to Mhmm. Mhmm. So it's like difficult for them to actually learn in the classroom. From what I remember, a couple of my friends from a different place, they came to my school and they were using like a tool or something that translate the words.

Vincent: 05:07

I'm not that's cool. Yeah, I forgot what I don't know what's it called, but when there's a test given, they're allowed to use it to help them.

Ellis: 05:16

Oh, really? I I never I know that in my school, like, in middle school for the state exams, they would just have, like, a, like, a Chinese version or whatever of the test. They wouldn't but I think they would also get, like, more time or something, but they never had, like, some type of technology.

Mikayla: 05:32

That's really cool. I didn't even know they had those type of technology that could

Vincent: 05:36

do that. I didn't really understand it when I saw it. I was really confused. So yeah.

Ellis: 05:45

Mhmm. So I think I Go. It's okay.

Mikayla: 05:50

Oh, I was just saying, so I think we should touch upon our next segment now, which is, like, the introduction to translanguaging and how it could be used in schools. So basically, translanguaging is using your entire ling linguistic repertoire. If you speak Spanish, Russian, and English, let's just say you're multilingual, it's important that in the classroom setting, you touch upon using all of those languages to strengthen your idea and strengthen your knowledge in all of them. So I think that schools, especially in The US, should use this more because there are so many students I know and so many friends I've had that have spoken Spanish and English or Spanish and Russian, And they just totally lost their second language throughout the schooling system because they didn't they didn't keep them learning their home language. So by the time they were, like, 17 years old and graduating, they didn't have any idea how to speak their home language, but they knew how to speak English.

Mikayla: 06:59

It was kinda like English was I don't know. English was just taking over, and I think that school should, like, keep them in touch with their home language.

Ellis: 07:09

That's, like, something that happened with me. Like, I don't know. I feel like growing up, like, if you, like, spoke your native language a lot of it, like, kids would look at you different. Like, they would kinda judge you when you would speak it. You know what I mean?

Ellis: 07:23

And so when I got older, I just didn't speak my language as much, and it just turned into English. But, also, like, unlike the Spanish classes that we would take, it was such a different like, although it's the same language, it was another dialect. Like, it was there was improper Spanish, and there was proper Spanish. Yeah. Yeah.

Ellis: 07:44

Yeah. So it was, like, challenging for some kids to, like, bitch, but also, like like, I don't know how to say the word. Like like, the tone of voice almost. I don't know how to say it.

Mikayla: 07:59

No. I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Like, the way you say it, the

Ellis: 08:02

way you you what's the

Mikayla: 08:04

word I'm looking for? The diction? No. It's definitely not that, but I know what you're talking about.

Ellis: 08:11

Yeah.

Mikayla: 08:13

Yeah. I agree there. That but I think if schools just kept kids in touch and, like, let kids speak their native languages in the classroom, it wouldn't be so, like, a stigmatized. It wouldn't be so stigmatized to the other kids. They wouldn't be like, oh my gosh.

Mikayla: 08:30

What is this person saying? Because they'd be used to it. Like, I think that in the classroom, they should have kids at least, like, read a book in their native language to the class just so they can hear and understand. I know it'd be hard to, like, touch upon every single student's native languages, but I think that they should at least have, like, culture days or, like, activities where they can showcase their languages. I think that would be really helpful in helping kids understand that English isn't the only important language.

Ellis: 09:03

Did you have, like, those stuff in your school? Like, where they showed, like, different cultures or stuff?

Mikayla: 09:11

I mean, we had culture days, but we didn't, like like, we could dress up in, like, our traditional outfits and, you know, we could give food, but we didn't really have the chance to, like, show our language, what I which I feel like is the most important part for kids, like, hearing it. Seeing it is one thing, but hearing it and actually understanding it is totally different.

Ellis: 09:35

Vincent, what about you?

Vincent: 09:39

Think for me, I use both. But, like, for me, I feel like at the beginning, when you're trying to learn like two different languages, it's like a bit harder for me at the start, but it got easier over time. But it's still like, there's some words that you can't really translate into other language. I can't really think of them. I know Mandarin English, but like there's some words in Mandarin that doesn't really translate to English.

Vincent: 10:08

There's some words in English that doesn't really translate to Mandarin. So, yeah.

Ellis: 10:14

I think it's a really good thing to just like learn about different languages in general, because someday it might become useful. Like, I've been I work with kids right now, and one of the kids, he's, like, in first grade or, like, in kindergarten or something. And you know, like, the apps, like Duolingo and stuff? Yeah. Yeah.

Vincent: 10:36

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Ellis: 10:38

And he's, like, in first grade, and he's learning Spanish. And he's, like, actually picking up on the stuff, and he'll, like, use it in sentences. And it's so cool because he's, like, he's he's, like, six or seven, and he's, like, remembering that stuff. You know? So he now he speaks, like

Vincent: 10:54

Mhmm.

Ellis: 10:54

English, Chinese, and he's learning Spanish. So

Mikayla: 10:59

That's really cool.

Vincent: 11:01

That's real.

Mikayla: 11:02

That's a smart kid.

Vincent: 11:03

Really difficult to learn. Yeah. Different languages. Yeah.

Mikayla: 11:10

That's honestly on topic of how this can affect children if they don't utilize translanguaging. Like you said, how you felt, you felt like kids were like, oh my gosh, like, what is she saying when you spoke your native language? I think that in order to break that stigma, we need to speak the languages more. We have to show other kids' cultures. I think that it's really damaging to kids if we can't let them express themselves.

Mikayla: 11:36

Because when they go home, they're gonna be like they're gonna feel upset. They're gonna be sad that they can't show their true identity in school and other kids are like, you know, not accepting of them. I don't know. But I do think there's a lot of ways that schools can incorporate incorporate translanguaging. It's just like a matter of time, honestly.

Mikayla: 11:59

They just gotta find a system that works. Like like I said, the culture days, they could go around the room and have kids share their language and their favorite words. There's just a lot of different things that schools can do that they don't and they aren't doing right now that can help kids.

Vincent: 12:17

Yeah. Yeah.

Ellis: 12:18

But I think, like, they can, but it also has to be something that kids have to be motivated to do. You know? Like, if teachers are definitely like, if teachers are just asking you to share, like, your culture and, like, your language, like, it's I feel like kids would just see it as an assignment rather than something that they enjoy doing. So so it, like, it's a part that both the kids and teachers have to play on. So

Mikayla: 12:44

Yeah. You have to make it, like, fun. Make it an activity. Make it seem, like, not a chore because learning your peers' languages and cultures isn't a chore. It's just, like, a part of the real world.

Mikayla: 12:56

You gotta prepare them. Let me think. I just think that if the teacher is passionate enough and really cares about the students, that that shouldn't be a very hard thing to teach and show. Mhmm.

Ellis: 13:13

You know, something else that I also realized too was I don't know how it worked for you guys when you guys were kids, but, like, what you don't remember, like, parent teacher conferences or whatever? Yes.

Vincent: 13:24

I do. Yeah.

Ellis: 13:25

They you remember how it used to be, like, in person? Mhmm. I do remember. If you were if, like, you didn't speak English or whatever, they would have translators. Right?

Vincent: 13:37

Oh, yeah. They did that for me. Yeah.

Ellis: 13:39

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so now, I don't know when they started this, but when there was a recent press conference, I learned that it's not in person anymore. Like, all they do is that they give a phone call.

Ellis: 13:53

Like, they they do the same thing of having, like, an assigned time to meet or whatever, but it's just a phone call. It's not they don't meet in person or anything. And then I guess they just connect the phone to the translator so that they can translate, but it's, like, it's not as effective because I feel like the parents aren't really listening. You know? Mhmm.

Mikayla: 14:13

You gotta be face to face for that type of thing.

Ellis: 14:15

Yeah. So and you could just easily miss a phone call. Like

Mikayla: 14:22

Yeah. Definitely. I mean, I'm just I don't know. Thinking about all this, it doesn't seem like I don't know. I think the face to face communication definitely helps because you could see their face.

Mikayla: 14:34

You could see their emotions. You could see their body language.

Ellis: 14:38

Yeah. I mean

Vincent: 14:40

It's also easier to focus if you're face to face. Exact yeah.

Mikayla: 14:44

Exactly. So I think that's about all for today in AU Multilingualism. I really enjoyed this podcast, and be sure to tune in next week to see what we have in store for you guys. Bye.

Vincent: 15:00

Bye. Bye.