"It takes a village to raise a child," goes the old African proverb. But in the world of business, I've come to realize that it takes a community to raise a successful enterprise. As a language professor, I have always been passionate about helping people communicate in different languages. I understand the possibilities that become available through language learning. Three years ago, I took the leap and founded my own language learning company, Lenguas Club, with a mission to expand multilingualism through human interactions. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a challenging yet fulfilling journey as an entrepreneur. Of course, being an entrepreneur requires a diverse skill set; since starting Lenguas Club, I have expanded my knowledge to include everything from business management to marketing to customer psychology. But I haven't been alone in this journey. Thanks to organizations like the Koffman Incubator and the Small Business Association, as well as the support of colleagues and mentors, I have been able to navigate the ever-changing waters of entrepreneurship. While the world adjusted to virtual meetings at the beginning of this decade, I saw an opportunity to connect people across the world through virtual language and cultural immersion sessions. Today, Lenguas Club is in a good position to supply highly qualified Spanish teachers to add power world to language departments. We work with schools to supplement their teaching capabilities through virtual immersion sessions with teachers in Colombia, As the company develops, we continue to find new areas in which we can serve our professional community. Lenguas Club also provides professional development on topics related to supporting multilingual learners. Our team of experienced TESOL teachers and researchers from across the country works together to develop interactive workshops that are enhanced by the possibilities of virtual interaction. To keep up with the growth of my company, I continue to learn and surround myself with top talents in their respective fields. I am currently participating in a Master Mind program at Clarkson University, which is providing me with valuable insights and strategies for different aspects of my organization. I am also a faithful consumer of personal and professional development podcasts; amongst my current favorite are How Leaders Lead with David Novak, Cult of Pedagogy, Hidden Brain and Online Marketing Made Easy. Looking back on my journey, I am amazed at how much I have changed and grown as a leader. Through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, I have developed greater confidence in my abilities and learned to team up with others to augment them. I have also developed a greater appreciation for hard work and perseverance, as well as the importance of teaming up to infuse your organization with the best talent to remain relevant in an ever-changing world. As Lenguas Club becomes a leader in the world of language learning, I feel confident in our ability to deliver educational experiences that enhance learning and with schools curriculums and learning circumstances. As a leader myself, I feel well surrounded by the best team and supported by a network of exceptional people and organizations that will help me develop into the best leader I can be. So, to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, remember: it takes a town to raise a business. Build your network, surround yourself with great minds, and never stop learning."
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The term ‘multilingual learners’ is used to describe all students who come in contact with and/or interact in languages in addition to English on a regular basis. In academic settings, many of these students face unique challenges with language acquisition and academic success, and while educators cannot control all the variables of their learning, by using different strategies, they can advance their students' language journeys and make their subject content more accessible to their learners. It is important to note that any of these strategies will benefit other learners in the classroom. This blog post intends to share practical strategies for supporting multilingual learners' English language acquisition and academic achievement. Language acquisition is a complex process that involves not only the memorization of vocabulary and syntax but also the development of cultural knowledge and academic literacy. The learner of a second or new language must negotiate at least two different languages and cultures in order to develop the new language. Because of how closely language and cultural practices and beliefs are connected, students' own cultures can sometimes clash with those of the target language, making it harder for them to learn. Through culturally responsive teaching, an approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding and valuing students' cultures and backgrounds, teachers can create inclusive and engaging learning environments for multilingual learners. The benefits of culturally responsive teaching increased engagement, improved academic achievement, and higher levels of self-efficacy. There are several effective teaching strategies that can be used to support multilingual learners in academic settings. Here, they are categorized as language-based, content-based, and assessment and feedback strategies. Language-based strategies: These strategies focus on developing students' English language proficiency. Some examples include:
Teaching multilingual learners may appear to be a challenging task, but with a few adjustments to the lesson plan, an educator can propel multilingual learners' English language acquisition and academic achievement. By valuing students' cultural backgrounds and creating inclusive learning environments, we can promote academic success for all learners. Many educators worry about the ease with which students cheat by using different technologies, but...
Is education cheating students of crucial learning?
Meanwhile, students spend hours interacting with technology and learning skills, often without any adult to assist them or to help them understand what they are doing. Innovative educators have long recognized the potential of technology to revolutionize education. However, many instructors remain apprehensive about incorporating technology into their teaching practices, fearing that it will enable cheating or dumb down the learning experience. The challenges of the beginning of this decade brought to our attention the potential of virtual tools in education. Due to the pandemic, schools and homes had to adapt quickly, and while not everything was successful, we did learn that it was possible to teach using different tools and in very untraditional ways. During this time, every industry had to change; from supermarkets offering grocery delivery services to doctors providing virtual consultations, the world has been forced to adapt to technological advancements. A few years into the technological revolution, we see the way that many industries took advantage of those learnings and developed new ways to work, while others were unable to adapt and disappeared. As an industry, is education going in the right direction? It seems to me that we are too afraid of the dangers of technology to see its potential. While we struggle to find ways to ensure students are not using Chat GPT or other AI to write their papers or translators in the language classroom, we are missing how these tools could bring students' learning to a whole new level. Online translators, for example, have become increasingly accurate, which means that learners will sometimes use them to translate their assignments. It also means that students can use them to connect their two languages. Imagine telling your students to use their translator to describe their home and then asking them to notice the way adjectives work as a starting place to understand gender and number.
Integrating new and disruptive technologies into the curriculum is challenging, but if we approach them with curiosity and let our students join us on the learning journey, we will also teach them the power of a learning community, which will help them become better learners.
Of course, there are many other considerations in this pursuit, and I will address them in upcoming posts. For now, I want to close by emphasizing that while it's natural to be concerned about the potential risks of technology in the classroom, it's important to remember that these tools also have enormous potential to enhance learning and engage students in new and innovative ways. By embracing technology and using it to create more personalized and engaging learning experiences, we can better prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. |
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