Practical Approaches to Teaching Multilingual Learners

Beyond Sheltered English Immersion

Beyond Sheltered English Immersion is designed for K-6 teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches, and other school-based leaders. Educators will explore practices for affirming multilingual learners. They will identify practices that validate the assets and support the potential of multilingual learners in varied classroom contexts, including SEI, dual language, and small group interventions.

Inclusive classrooms value linguistic diversity

Classrooms throughout the nation continue to be enriched with linguistic diversity. We need to move beyond sheltered English Immersion classrooms, recognizing the value of multilingual learners and inclusive environments.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, learners will:

Challenge metalinguistics misconceptions to understand its impact and importance on multilingual and monolingual learners’ educational experiences.

Plan, design and implement activities connected to literacy research that enhance multilingual learners' understanding of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in their native languages and English through vocabulary instruction.

Plan, design, and implement activities based on translanguaging practices that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners’ abilities to engage in academic concepts, build background knowledge, and express prior knowledge.

Plan, design, and implement activities that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners’ expressive language abilities while fostering rich peer-to-peer discussion.

Plan, design, and implement activities that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners’ expressive language abilities and capitalize on students’ entire language repertoire while fostering higher quality, audience-conscious writing.

At a Glance

Hybrid Structure


The program is a hybrid offering,combining both synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

Flexible Sessions


This professional development workshop is broken up into five modules, over the course of 15 hours.

Earn PDPs


As a DESE-approved professional development point (PDP) provider,
this program offers 15 PDPs.

Program Cost


$495 per person with a 10-person minimum.
For groups of 15+, a discounted rate of $445 per person.

Structure and Topics

This 15-hour professional development workshop kicks off with a 1.5-hour synchronous session where learners will learn more about the workshop format and its focus.From there, participants will learn about practical approaches to teaching multilingual learners through instructional videos and materials, self-study, and opportunities for feedback from an expert facilitator. These practical approaches will cover three main categories: metalinguistic awareness, translanguaging, and expressive language development.

Metalinguistic Awareness

Presents teachers with the importance of metalinguistic awareness; they'll learn strategies and activities that allow students to explore the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of language and make connections within and across languages using a variety of strategies.

Translanguaging

This topic presents teachers with information on how bilingual brains work, to create a classroom environment that allows students to use their entire brains to interact with lesson concepts and academic tasks. Strategies could include: multilingual note taking, multilingual & multimodal research.

Expressive Language Development

This topic prepares participants to develop their students' expressive language in research-supported ways. Strategies include using mentor texts, audience awareness in presentation (challenging academic language), selection of “juicy questions” to structure units, amongst others.

Our Program

Program Developers

C. Patrick Proctor

C. Patrick Proctor

Department Chair, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society
Professor



X
C. Patrick Proctor

C. Patrick Proctor

Department Chair, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society

Professor

Patrick is a professor and educational researcher focusing on bilingualism, bilingual education, language, and literacy. Theoretically, my work attempts to merge critical and developmental perspectives on language, literacy, and bilingualism in education. In terms of praxis, I work directly with teachers and administrators on issues of bilingual education and language-based literacy instruction, particularly in schools and districts characterized by student (and ideally teacher) multilingualism.

Mariam Gorbea Ramy

Mariam Gorbea Ramy

Course Instructor



X
Mariam Gorbea Ramy

Mariam Gorbea Ramy

Course Instructor

Mariam Gorbea Ramy has a Bachelor's in Applied Psychology and a Master's in Elementary Education, with a Urban and Bilingual focus, from Boston College. She worked in BPS as a Spanish teacher in Dual Language schools. She now creates curriculum that integrates Puerto Rican experiences with STEM skills as Director of Curriculum and Programs in an NPO in Puerto Rico. Ms. Gorbea Ramy is a native speaker of English and Spanish, is proficient in French, and continues to learn Lebanese Arabic.

Questions?

If you are interested in bringingBeyond Sheltered English Immersionto your school or school district, or if you have questions about the program, email lynchschoolpce@bc.edu.