Sneak peek: A miniseries on multilingual and English learners

Science of Reading: The Podcast is launching a special miniseries dedicated to multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs)! Host Susan Lambert will chat with leading researchers and practitioners about how the Science of Reading supports ML/ELs and why this is so important. Through exploration of the key research and enlightening discussions, Susan and guests will discuss the optimal use of the Science of Reading to enhance students’ classroom experiences and overall learning journeys. 

Listen to this trailer for a sneak peek and be sure to subscribe now so you don’t miss this exclusive miniseries—the first episode is out April 30!

Transcript

Susan Lambert 1:28

April is National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month, and I'm so excited to tell you about a special series coming from Science of Reading: The Podcast. I'm host Susan Lambert, and in upcoming episodes we're exploring how the Science of Reading serves multilingual and English learners.

Kajal Patel Below 1:47

We have an underserved area that's experiencing a massive growth in student population.

Clip 1 1:55

English Language Learner students are a fast growing student population in Indiana...

Clip 2 1:59

The number of English learners in Rhode Island has gone up by 76%.

Clip 3 2:04

California was the first state to implement the state seal of biliteracy, and since then, 49 states and Washington DC have followed...

Kajal Patel Below 2:12

There are so many kids that have this gift. By 2025, it'll be 25% of students in our country, but educators are not feeling like they have what they need. 30% of teachers, so only 30% feel fully prepared to teach multilingual learners. Well, that's not enough.

Susan Lambert 2:32

Leading researchers on literacy and multilingualism will help us explore everything from the science of language acquisition to the ways the education system has historically let down multilingual and English learners, including exclusionary laws and underrepresentation in education studies.

Kajal Patel Below 2:51

It's true that multilingual and English learners have been left out of a lot of research, but we do know a lot and more research is currently being done, and it's really worth exploring that research as well as best practices so that we can serve students based on what we know, align on what we don't know, and you can't do all of that <laugh> in one podcast.

Susan Lambert 3:15

That's why we're devoting a whole series to this topic. In addition to unpacking the major facets of English language development, we'll explore how dyslexia manifests differently by language and hear about a special elementary school in a refugee resettlement community. Subscribe to Science of Reading: The Podcast to catch episode one—launching April 30th, 2024.