2025 Spokane Regional ESL Conference

A panel of professionals representing the Marshallese and Rwandan communities of Spokane will share insights into indigenous ways of teaching and learning and how to integrate these perspectives into formalized  educational contexts. They will discuss their role in the development and implementation of culturally-derived language learning experiences in K-12 and adult learning environments. These perspectives provide a fresh outlook on how school systems can actualize their stated commitment to valuing the inextricable link between language, identity, culture, and pedagogy.

The speaker discusses her progression in English literacy and ideologies throughout her journey as an international multilingual student and later as an international faculty member/scholar at U.S. higher education institutions.

Motivating new-to-English students to flip off the AI on their phones requires instructors to decrease the perceived threat posed by errors. Flipped classrooms that use visual arts, music, and games can create such motivation. This panel elucidates such a pedagogy.

Multilingual learners (MLs) interact in spaces everyday with the greater community outside of the familiar welcoming spaces of our classrooms. As educators and advocates, we not only teach, but aid our students by forwarding resources or sharing important community information.  Bringing together a panel of community organizations that serve BIPOC and immigrant/refugees will explore the intersection of learning, advocacy, and community engagement for our learners. We also propose actions to support our students and community in an even more increasingly challenging environment for education and MLs.