Supporting Multilingual Learners: Parent Perspectives

Abstract

It is paramount that today’s schools prepare teachers to work with multilingual learners, many of whom are in the early stages of learning the language of schooling. Although many studies focus on doing just that, few studies examine this from the lens of multilingual parents of varied backgrounds and languages. This collective auto-ethnography gives voice to the perspectives of five multilingual parents/researchers/teachers as they consider their own experiences raising multilingual children. Data consisted of each author’s accounts (and the collective discussion of them) of what they want teachers to know about their children based mostly on their schooling experiences in the United States. Data were analyzed using a thematic and layered account which juxtaposes the author’s experiences with the relevant literature in order to reveal pedagogical implications. Findings revealed key takeaways for those working with multilingual learners such as the importance of knowing one’s students, having a multilingual stance, involving parents in schools, understanding the language and culture connection, and preventing bullying.

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