Critical Multilingual Language Awareness: Reflections on a YPAR Program in Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper examines how two language educators of color developed critical multilingual language awareness (CMLA) in a combined youth participatory action research and teacher education program. Specifically, as a multilingual and diverse group of educators, we chose to use Latin@/o Critical Theory (LatCrit) as our methodology to align with the epistemological framework of YPAR. By sharing the lived experiences and insights of the two educators over the course of the program, our reflexive study demonstrates how multimodal ways of meaning making supported them in challenging deficient perspectives of minoritized languages and in changing their pedagogical practices to be more equitable. By implementing YPAR programs with a clear focus on CMLA, we become aware of our own language ideologies and grow to understand the socio-political discourses that inform our interactions with youth. Implications include the significance of incorporating multimodality and participatory pedagogies into teacher education and thereby facilitating opportunities for teacher candidates to gain awareness of the power dynamics in multilingual education.