How do we value language in our classrooms? How do our learners and their whanau value language? What beliefs do we have about language?

Valuing language, identify and culture go hand in hand and are the keystones to building culturally sustaining educational experiences for our learners.

If we think about valuing LANGUAGE, what do we do beyond ‘language weeks’ and standardised words and phrases? As a monolingual teacher, how can you authentically value the languages of your learners?

In this interactive workshop, Del Costello will challenge, connect the dots and build onto our beliefs about oral language and she will share key strategies that support culturally sustaining practices in the classroom.

What will be covered:

- Links between oral language and culturally sustaining practices

- We will challenge deficit theorising around language learners

- Find ways to build on learners’ prior language knowledge to support learning across the curriculum

- Be authentic about leveraging linguistic diversity