In this episode, Diane August, Ph.D. shares her journey and expertise supporting multilingual learners, focusing on her transition from a Spanish language teacher to a widely recognized expert in literacy and language acquisition for multilingual students. August recounts her initial teaching experiences, her realization of the need for better support for language development, and her subsequent pursuit of a Ph.D. and further research efforts to deepen her understanding of second language acquisition and content integrated language teaching. August emphasizes the foundational importance of supporting multilingual learners through asset-based approaches, bilingual programming, and research-based instructional strategies, advocating for educational policies and practices that recognize and leverage the linguistic and cultural assets of multilingual learners from the very early grades all the way through the later grades.

Show notes:

• Tool: AIR Project Word Analyzer Vocabulary Tool
• Tool: Wordsmyth.net Educational Dictionary Resource
• Read: Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth
• Read: Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures

Quotes:
“We found there is no indication that bilingual instruction impeded academic achievement, either in the native language or in English. What we observed on average, [was] that kids that were in bilingual programs did a lot better in literacy.” —Diane August, Ph.D.

“There's some sounds in English that aren't present in a first language. Or there are orthography letters that sound different in one language versus the other. So you just have to realize you have to take into consideration the kid's language background when you're teaching foundational skills.” —Diane August, Ph.D

“We develop kids' oral language when they're older in conjunction with teaching them to read and teaching them content area knowledge. You can't not do that from the beginning, you have to support kids in foundational reading skills.” —Diane August, Ph.D.

“Second language learners also come with a lot of knowledge in their first language, which is really important to consider. It's not like they don't have background knowledge.” —Diane August, Ph.D.

Episode timestamps*
1:00: Introduction: Who is Diane August?
6:00: National literacy panel on language minority children and youth
13:00: Importance of longitudinal research
15:00: Exploring different models for supporting biliteracy development
20:00: The Importance of Oral Language
27:00: Intersection of research on learning on how to read for native english speakers and learning how to read for multilingual learners
30:00: Insights from the 2017 Report on Multilingual Learners
33:00: Understanding the Diversity of Multilingual Learners
36:00: Effective Strategies for Supporting Older Multilingual Learners
47:00: Importance of syntax
52:00: Concluding Thoughts on Supporting Multilingual Learners
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

As we continue our miniseries on English learners and multilingual learners Francisco Usero-González, Ph.D. (Paco, as I call him), a renowned expert in bilingual education and dyslexia intervention, joins Susan Lambert to discuss diagnosing dyslexia in multilingual learners and the intersectional understanding it requires. To accurately approach observation and assessment, educators need all the different parts of their own identity to create a complete picture. Usero-González discusses how moving from Spain to the United States led him to champion professional development that teaches educators to have a linguistic, cognitive, and cultural understanding of students. Together, Susan and Usero-González also touch on the ways in which symptoms of dyslexia and the natural process of language acquisition can be confused, how to diagnose dyslexia in multilingual learners, what dyslexia looks like across languages, and how translanguaging is especially helpful for multilingual learners with dyslexia.

Show Notes:

• Watch: TEDxSHSU Bilingual Learners, Dyslexia, and Inclusive Education
• Read: Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Sara Vogel

Quotes:

“We need to promote collaboration, because we need to talk to the different teachers that the student has in order to see if it is indeed a second language acquisition issue or it belongs to the patterns, the symptoms, that a student with dyslexia might have.” — Francisco Usero-González

“It is very important for us to have this communication with parents and teachers and have them as our best allies. They are going to give us a lot of information that we maybe cannot track during our classroom time.” — Francisco Usero-González

“Dyslexia is something beyond a language. It is something that our students bring with themselves. We need to give them all the tools and resources in order to help them overcome those symptoms.” — Francisco Usero-González

Episode timestamps*
2:00 Introduction: Who is Francisco Usero-González?
08:00 Going from Spain to the US
09:00 Dyslexia and multilingual learners, why this is an important topic
10:00 Holistic professional development: Linguistic, cognitive, and cultural understanding of students
18:00 Intersection of dyslexia and language acquisition
27:00 Diagnosing dyslexia in multilingual learners
33:00 Symptoms of dyslexia: Spanish vs English
40:00 Dyslexia across languages
48:00 Translanguaging
54:00 Final thoughts: Being a human being
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Professor Emeritus Jim Cummins, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for an engaging conversation that explores the dynamics of language development and bilingual education, as well as the importance of a supportive learning environment for multilingual/English learners. Cummins shares stories from his extensive experience and research in the field, highlighting the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, the importance of literacy engagement, and the role of translanguaging in educational settings. He also illuminates the challenges and opportunities in fostering multilingual capabilities and underscores the value of embracing students' linguistic diversity in schools.

Show notes:

• Listen to episode 1, Language is always an asset, with Kajal Patel Below
• Read: Translanguaging in Bilingual Education by Ofelia García and Angel M.Y. Lin
• Website: Language Friendly School

Quotes:

“Virtually all the research highlights the importance of being in a communicative, interactive context if you want to pick up a language." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.

“There are differences between the linguistic demands of schooling and the kind of language that we use in everyday conversational context outside of school." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.

“All of these processes are amplified when there's a community of peers or people that we can discuss these ideas with, we can get feedback, we can explore ideas collectively." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.

Episode timestamps*
02:00 Introduction: Who is Jim Cummins
03:00 Personal Language Journey
10:00 Global Perspectives on Language Education
18:00 Conversion to academic language spectrum
20:00 The process of learning a second language
25:00 Language awareness
37:00 Translanguaging and Language Policy
43:00 Benefits of being multilingual and fostering a supportive environment
49:00 Joint statement
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute