Cultivating understanding and respect across languages and dialects is a universal design for learning (UDL) guideline that supports multiple means of representation. The UDL guidelines were developed by an organization called CAST. This article will explore how teachers and other educators can find ways to encourage learners to understand and respect many linguistic traditions.
Cultivating understanding and respect across languages and dialects in Universal Design for Learning
Cultivating understanding and respect across languages and dialects means making as much information as possible available in other languages, or other words. Some students may be learning a new language while they take academic courses in that language. As a result, they will better understand course content they perceive in both their native and new languages. Similarly, some students may be learning academic words and phrases for the first time. Therefore, they may benefit from definitions of these academic turns of phrase in plain language.
Moreover, a class learning to use one (1) main language should also learn to respect other languages and dialects. For instance, idioms that exist only in one (1) language or dialect reveal ways of thinking that only exist in that linguistic tradition. While some learners may need support to learn their class’s main language, all learners need support to respect all languages.
strategies for Cultivating Understanding and Respect Across Languages and Dialects
Teachers can use many strategies for cultivating understanding and respect across languages and dialects. For example, teachers can find online translations of the most crucial course content in multiple languages. For instance, translations into American Sign Language (ASL), or another Sign language, can supplement Sign language interpretation. Alternatively, teachers can find definitions and pronunciations of important vocabulary in many languages. Learners who speak multiple languages can look up new words and phrases in the languages they know best. Similarly, teachers can provide links to online translation tools or glossaries where learners can look up words or phrases. Likewise, teachers can encourage learners to translate between languages at any time, to use all their existing language skills to understand new concepts presented in new languages.
Furthermore, teachers can define academic terms with simpler words still used in the academic context, or with colloquial language that learners might be more familiar with. For example, a teacher could define “protagonist” as the “main character”, or as the person a story is about. Moreover, teachers can use visual media, such as pictures or videos, to teach content in ways that do not rely on language.
In addition, teachers can create classroom cultures that show respect for other languages and dialects. For instance, teachers can assign readings that portray the histories and traditions of other cultures. Likewise, teachers can encourage learners to share elements of their cultural backgrounds with their classmates. For instance, speakers of more than one (1) language could share a song or a story in that language. Classmates witnessing their peers’ fluency and expression could learn to appreciate a new language and the skill required to know two (2) or more languages.