Amplifying Voices: Multilingual Children and Families in U.S. Schools

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Multilingual learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in U.S. schools, with more than five million students identified as English learners nationwide. How do schools identify, support, and instruct children who speak a language other than English at home? What responsibilities do educators and schools have toward multilingual children and their families? How do educational policies, federal guidelines, and classroom practices shape the daily experiences of multilingual learners? This course examines the histories, identities, and everyday schooling experiences of multilingual children and families in the United States. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from educational linguistics, sociology, anthropology, and the history of education, students will explore how language development, educational policy, federal guidance, and instructional practices shape children’s experiences in schools. Particular attention will be given to how schools identify, serve, and partner with multilingual learners and their families across diverse educational contexts.