The conference brought together 160 attendees from K–12 schools, colleges, universities, and educational organizations to share research, explore effective practices, and strengthen connections across Arizona’s multilingual education community.
The day featured four rounds of breakout sessions, interactive workshops, research presentations, and poster sessions exploring topics such as instructional scaffolding, translanguaging, language assessment, educational equity, and teacher leadership. Featured speaker Kathy Hoffman, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, challenged educators to consider how policies and educational systems can expand opportunities for multilingual learners.
Beyond the sessions, the conference provided opportunities for meaningful professional connections, collaboration, and shared learning. AZTESOL extends its appreciation to the presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, and participants who made the event possible.
]]>When schools recognize and build upon the languages students already know, they can create stronger connections between prior knowledge and new learning. Research on multilingual learners and bilingual education has associated well-designed approaches that develop students’ linguistic resources with benefits including:
Home-language use does not compete with learning English. Instead, students can draw upon their full linguistic repertoires as they develop English proficiency and engage with increasingly complex academic content.
Arizona has a complicated history of language-education policy, including Proposition 203, approved by voters in 2000, which significantly restricted bilingual instruction for English learners.
AZTESOL supports educational approaches that move beyond restrictive English-only models and recognize multilingualism as an asset. We advocate for high-quality, research-informed language education that supports English development while creating opportunities for students to develop and sustain their home languages.
Valuing home languages is about more than language instruction. It communicates to students and families that their languages, cultures, knowledge, and experiences belong in our educational communities.
AZTESOL will continue to support educators in creating linguistically responsive learning environments and advocate for policies and practices that expand opportunities for Arizona’s multilingual learners.
]]>AZTESOL recognizes this linguistic diversity as an asset. We affirm the value of the languages, cultures, knowledge, and experiences multilingual learners and their families bring to Arizona.
Supporting English language development and valuing multilingualism are not competing goals. Educators can help learners develop strong English proficiency while also recognizing the academic, cultural, and community benefits of maintaining and developing additional languages.
AZTESOL supports educational policies and practices that expand opportunities for multilingual learners, promote equitable access to education, and recognize the value of multilingualism throughout Arizona.
]]>AZTESOL is concerned about the implications of this policy for multilingual learners, families, educators, and communities. As a professional organization committed to English language teaching and multilingual education, AZTESOL supports policies and practices that promote equitable access to education and recognize linguistic diversity as an asset.
As an organization committed to supporting multilingual learners and the educators who serve them, we are concerned about policies that may create barriers to equitable access, diminish the value of linguistic diversity, or negatively affect multilingual individuals and communities.
AZTESOL affirms the importance of inclusive educational practices that support English language development while recognizing and valuing the languages, cultures, and experiences learners bring to our schools and communities.
Language policy can influence access to education, public services, civic participation, and the ways multilingualism is understood and valued within our communities. AZTESOL is particularly concerned about policies or practices that may:
AZTESOL will continue to support educators, share research and professional resources, and advocate for policies and practices that promote equitable opportunities for multilingual learners throughout Arizona.
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