I always imagined I’d spend my career as an elementary school teacher. Becoming a professor? That was never part of my plan.
But then, during my own teacher education journey, I encountered some truly remarkable professors. Jan Riggsbee at Duke, who enrolled me in an independent study when I couldn't articulate my reasons for becoming a teacher, helping me find my voice as an undergrad. 🙏🏾 Icy Lee and Paul Sze at CUHK, who taught with such passion, clarity, and fervor while their research centered the lived experiences of teachers. 🙏🏾 Carol Benson at Columbia, who worked directly with teachers all over the world, showed me how to translate research and teaching to policymakers and advocacy. 🙏🏾 And Heather Woodley at NYU, who embodied meta-teaching practices, modeling the tenets of critical pedagogy that she preached to her teacher candidates. 🙏🏾
And so, my career took an unexpected turn when my wife and I went back to graduate school. I (somewhat reluctantly) left the classroom after six fulfilling years because I had developed countless questions about language education—questions about pedagogy, curriculum, systemic inequities, and global concerns about who gets to speak certain languages and how we prepare them to do so.
Transitioning to teaching adults—specifically pre-service teachers—was an adjustment, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss working with young children. But the potential and privilege of working with passionate teacher candidates who are eager to walk alongside and shape the lives of children is truly remarkable. Together, we consider how they might become a fierce advocate, a trusted role model, a speaker of truth, an educator to the children they teach. Teaching is such sacred work.
And so, with immense gratitude to the California Council on Teacher Education and the teacher candidates (now teachers!) who I've gotten to work with, I express my heartfelt thanks for this recognition and honor: the Outstanding Emerging Teacher Educator Award. It affirms and validates that while I'm no longer in the elementary classroom, my work in teacher education—through research, teaching, and service—is making a meaningful impact in the lives of students and teachers.
#TeacherEducation #TeachingJourney #LanguageEducation #PassionateEducators #LifelongLearning #TeacherImpact #FutureTeachers
Humanizing Schools for Mandarin Teachers in America
The landmark Lau vs. Nichols Supreme Court decision of 1974 fundamentally reshaped the landscape of bilingual education in the United States, guaranteeing English learners access to a meaningful education. Over the past fifty years, dual-language programs have emerged as a promising model to foster bilingualism and cultural competence. However, beneath the surface of these programs lies a persistent challenge that remains largely unaddressed: the workplace environments of the bilingual teachers who are essential to their success.
Mandarin Dual Language Bilingual Education (MDLBE) programs, the second most common DLBE program in the U.S. after Spanish, face unique pressures. These programs are grappling with teacher shortages, coupled with the racial and linguistic biases faced by Mandarin-speaking educators. Many of these teachers experience "outsiderness" in a system that, while claiming to promote bilingualism, continues to privilege English. This hierarchy of language not only undermines the cultural and linguistic goals of dual-language programs but also dehumanizes the very teachers who make these programs possible.
In my research with Dr. Helen Chan Hill, we explored the experiences of Mandarin DLBE teachers and found that despite their critical role in the success of these programs, they often feel marginalized. Educators reported feeling isolated, unrecognized for their cultural knowledge, and subjected to raciolinguistic profiling—assumptions about their English proficiency and competence based on their race and accent. This treatment reinforces a broader issue in U.S. schools: the failure to fully embrace linguistic and cultural diversity, even in environments that are meant to do so.
If we are serious about creating equitable, inclusive educational environments, we must move beyond surface-level changes and examine the deeper systemic biases that continue to shape school cultures. This means creating humanizing, culturally sustaining spaces for both students and teachers. It is not enough to offer dual-language programs; we must ensure that the educators who run them are valued for their full range of skills—linguistic proficiency, cultural insight, and professional expertise. These teachers are more than just language instructors; they are professionals who bring valuable perspectives that enrich their classrooms and school communities.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/9ZC95BHWXYIIUD7JVKYR/full?target=10.1080/15235882.2024.2412519
Bilingual Schools as Community Lifeways: Reflections on Mid-Autumn Festival
This morning, as I walked into my daughter's school and saw vibrant lanterns adorning the entryway, lovingly put up by parent volunteers, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Clutching a tin of double-yolk mooncakes, I was transported back to my childhood in Hong Kong, where the Mid-Autumn Festival was a time of joy, family, and light. Seeing these familiar symbols in a school far from where I grew up made me reflect on the beauty of schools that actively celebrate important festivals from different cultures.
At first glance, these decorations might seem like simple gestures—bright colors to light up the hallways and "teachable moments" about diverse cultures. While they do serve these important purposes, when schools create spaces to celebrate cultural events, they become more than just places of learning—schools transform into community hubs: generative spaces for community members to be seen and known; culturally responsive spaces that decenter dominant narratives and elevate diverse ways of being; safe spaces for individuals to make sense of their multicultural identities.
Schools transform into community hubs that breathe life into cultural traditions, drawing in students, teachers, and parents and fostering deep community connections. Would parents have observed Mid-Autumn Festival if the school had not organized a special celebration? Would teachers have called it a work day and then headed home, only to see friends from across the world celebrating on social media? Would students have acquired a few "nice to know" words and phrases that made the festival interesting but not relevant to their lives? When schools make the effort to celebrate important festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, they do more than preserve cultural traditions—they actively shape and strengthen the bonds that hold generations of communities together. These spaces don’t just reflect diversity; they generate new ways for cultures to flourish and continue, making everyone feel seen and valued.
As I bring these mooncakes back to my family, I am filled with gratitude for schools that recognize and invest in the power of cultural celebration. Schools are the heart of our communities, serving as spaces for identity formation and ensuring that our cultural practices remain alive and vibrant for future generations.
中秋節快樂!
What Color Is Your English?
“What color is your English?”
This provocative question challenges the assumption that language, particularly English, is neutral and free of racial bias. In their article, Sender Dovchin and Vander Tavares explore how the perception of English is deeply intertwined with the race and appearance of the speaker, leading to linguistic racism. Faculty of color in Western higher education, regardless of their linguistic proficiency, often face discriminatory assumptions that their English is somehow "inferior" or "foreign." This bias not only undermines their professional standing but also reinforces the harmful notion that English spoken by people of color holds less value compared to that spoken by white individuals.
Linguistic racism has implications far beyond higher education, extending into K-12 education and broader society. In schools, students of color often encounter similar biases, where their language abilities are judged through a racial lens, potentially affecting their academic performance and self-esteem. These early experiences of linguistic discrimination can shape their educational trajectories, limiting their opportunities and reinforcing societal inequalities. Still, I believe higher education is a crucial battleground for challenging and dismantling these deficit ideologies. The field of raciolinguistics, which examines the intersection of race and language, provides a framework for future teachers and leaders to address the assumptions and biases we've been socialized to believe. By fostering inclusive environments in universities, we can not only support faculty and students of color but also set a precedent for valuing linguistic diversity across all levels of education and society.
Read the full article here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/what-colour-your-english-linguistic-racisms-impact-faculty-colour
Bilingual Education is More Than Language: A Lifeway for Community and Justice
My daughter just began kindergarten in a Mandarin dual-language immersion school in Los Angeles. For our family, this milestone represents much more than just her entry into formal education—it’s a meaningful opportunity to maintain and nurture our heritage language. Bilingual education offers her a way to stay connected to her roots while growing up in an increasingly globalized world. Yet, the value of bilingual education extends far beyond language acquisition. It’s a powerful tool for advancing social justice, preserving intergenerational ties, and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
In the United States, where English monolingualism dominates, many communities face the threat of losing their heritage languages. Bilingual education provides an opportunity for children from immigrant and minoritized backgrounds to affirm the value of their home language and cultural identity in a society that often pressures assimilation. It challenges the longstanding history of marginalization that non-English-speaking communities have endured. By creating educational environments that celebrate linguistic diversity, we begin to dismantle the language hierarchies that have contributed to social inequities for generations.
Bilingual education isn’t just about preserving languages—it’s about creating spaces where culture can truly thrive. Dual-language immersion schools provide students, parents, and teachers with an authentic way to engage with their culture, offering what Dr. Helen Chan Hill calls a "lifeway." These schools create a space where individuals can live their culture as they know it, share their knowledge, values, and beliefs without fear of marginalization, and breathe their deeply rooted ways of life into the next generation. The practices, values, and traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation are allowed to exist as they were meant to, not just in the home, but in the school and broader community.
Ultimately, bilingual education is about more than just language acquisition; it’s about justice, connection, and community. It provides the next generation with the tools they need to navigate a diverse world while honoring the legacy of those who came before them. For my daughter and countless others, bilingual education offers a pathway to a richer, more connected life, where diversity is celebrated, and everyone can take pride in who they are and where they come from.
Humanizing Pedagogy: Why It Matters and How to Do It
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Pedagogy, or the methods and approaches used by educators to teach and facilitate learning, plays a crucial role in education. It determines how knowledge is transmitted and how students engage with and make sense of the material being taught. In recent years, there has been a growing movement towards "humanizing" pedagogy, which puts the focus on the whole student and not just their academic abilities.
So, what is humanizing pedagogy? At its core, it is about creating a positive and inclusive learning environment that values and respects the individual needs, experiences, and backgrounds of each student. It recognizes that students are more than just their grades and test scores, and that their personal and social development shaped by historical, cultural, and intergenerational knowledge is just as important as their academic progress. As Paulo Freire notes, to humanize is to see someone as fully human; to overcome situations where students are “reduced to things.”
Why is humanizing pedagogy important? There are many benefits for both students and educators. For students, a humanizing approach can increase engagement, motivation, and well-being, as they feel seen, heard, and valued as individuals. It can also promote equity and social justice, as it acknowledges and addresses the diverse needs and challenges faced by different groups of students.
For educators, humanizing pedagogy can lead to improved job satisfaction and effectiveness. When educators are able to create a positive and supportive classroom culture, they can foster stronger relationships with their students and build trust and mutual respect. This, in turn, can lead to more meaningful and engaging learning experiences for all.
So, how can educators implement humanizing pedagogy in their classrooms? Here are a few strategies:
Use student interests and experiences as starting points for learning. This can make the material more relevant and engaging for students, and also helps to validate and incorporate their unique perspectives and backgrounds.
Incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) into lessons. SEL skills, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy, are crucial for students' personal and social development and are also linked to academic success.
Value diversity and inclusion. This means creating a safe and welcoming space for all students, and actively working to dismantle biases and stereotypes. It can also involve incorporating diverse perspectives and voices into the curriculum.
Build relationships with students. This is perhaps the most important aspect of humanizing pedagogy. By getting to know your students as individuals and showing genuine care and concern for their well-being, you can create a positive and supportive classroom culture.
Integrate humanizing pedagogy into lesson planning and delivery. This means considering the whole student when designing lessons and assessments, and using teaching methods that are interactive and experiential rather than just lecture-based.
In conclusion, humanizing pedagogy is a vital component of effective education. By putting the focus on the whole student and creating a positive and inclusive learning environment, educators can enhance student engagement, motivation, and well-being, and also promote equity and social justice. By implementing the strategies outlined above, educators can begin to incorporate humanizing pedagogy into their practice and transform the way they teach.
Human Connection... Online
Starting a new job in the midst of a pandemic was not easy. Learning to teach digitally to prepare a critically-engaged, equity-centered, compassionate, and empowered teacher workforce was a heavy burden. My greatest fear, however, was not being able to meaningfully engage and cultivate authentic relationships with my students.
As I reflect on the journey of this past semester, which culminated last night with heartfelt, mutual appreciation, I’ve learned a thing or two about the power of human relationships and connection. Without ever shaking a hand or making eye contact beyond the lens of my computer, I’ve learned that when we show up as ourselves, and choose to extend love, grace, and support to one another, we’re able to build something rather spectacular.
To my first ever class at Pepperdine, thank you for showing up and for making this a semester to remember.
Bringing Up Bilingual Babies: Stages of Second Language Acquisition Every Parent Should Know
Where do you begin to introduce children to a new language? When do you begin? And how do you know how well they’re progressing? Like many aspects of child development, learning a new language falls on a continuum and progress varies from child to child. Still, research in language learning does detail five stages of second language acquisition that can serve as a helpful roadmap for parents.
To describe bilinguals, experts in the field often refer to children as simultaneous bilinguals or sequential bilinguals (also referred to as successive bilinguals). Simultaneous bilinguals are children from birth to three years-old who learn two languages at the same time. These children go through the same developmental stages as those learning one language. Parents of simultaneous bilinguals often become worried because their children might begin speaking slightly later than monolingual children. Still, this should not be diagnosed as a “language delay” because bilinguals still start to talk within the typical age range. After all, they are learning double the vocabulary in half the time.
Sequential bilinguals are children who learn a second language after a first language is already established. For this reason, sequential bilinguals begin learning the second language after the age of three. Despite the myth that ‘earlier is better,’ sequential bilinguals who pick up a language later are also able to attain native-like fluency in two languages. They will, however, move through the stages of second language development delineated below. The remainder of this article describes the five stages of second language acquisition (SLA), answering three critical questions that all parents should know: What should you expect at this stage? What might you hear? What can you do about it?
A few important considerations:
Research demonstrates that for sequential bilinguals to progress quickly through the stages of second language acquisition, they should have a firm foundation in their first language.
Although perfect bilingualism is often considered the gold standard, remember that bilingualism is dynamic and serves many purposes. Don’t be discouraged if your child is not able to attain native-like fluency.
Remember that language learning is hard no matter what age you are. Set expectations for your children but remember that interest and motivation play a critical role in language learning as well.
Language is tied to culture. Go on language adventures that allow children to also experience the culture. Read books that feature culturally-relevant characters who speak the target language (or better yet, who are bilingual).
Five Thoughts on Crazy Rich Asians
I watched Crazy Rich Asians last night and I have thoughts!
(1) I was really moved by the Chinese (Mandarin and Canto) music that was unapologetically not English. Deeply appreciated the mix of Chinese pop songs from Hong Kong and China as well as the English songs with Chinese words (that weren’t necessarily direct translations, re: Yellow by Coldplay), all perfectly capturing the spectrum of Asian-American experiences.
(2) I related, surprisingly, to the Singaporean characters who were raised bilingual and bicultural, educated abroad or possibly in international schools, and who seamlessly weave between two worlds #TCK.
(3) Unsurprisingly, I related less to the Asian-American character though my heart did burst when her own mother said she looks Chinese but is different. Feeling like an outsider because of how you look is never fun... especially if you’re fluent in the culture(s). Despite not fully relating with the Asian-American narrative, I caught myself feeling bad/awkward that the White woman next to me didn’t laugh at any of the amazing Asian references that I LOLed at. I’m glad she’s there to learn about life as I see it, and I guess I’m ok with being the insider for a change.
(4) I loved all the normal things that were not played up as Asian because they were just... normal! Mah jong 💕 using chopsticks 💕 outdoor food markets 💕 using ‘la’ at the end of sentences because that’s how we talk ga ma 💕 the glorious and flavorful non-Chinese takeout food 💕 aunties and uncles 💕 and motifs on the importance of family, of saving face, of being a good host, of passive aggressiveness, of demonstrating love through sacrifice, of filial piety.
(5) I knew people had talked about being moved by an all Asian cast, but didn't realize how validating it would actually feel until I saw it on the big screen. No stupid kung fu. No annoying sidekicks. But attractive, funny, relatable protagonists. Asian and American. Having said that, I must say again that I am neither Asian nor White. I’m mixed, which is also more than the mere combination of the two. I may check two boxes on forms if I have the option, but really there should be a new box for what I am... an entirely distinct third identity.
*spoiler alert*
(6) After chatting with my friend, Greg Hsu, I appreciated his insight on how Crazy Rich Asians was a traditional rom-com in many ways, but did not ascribe to western norms of how romantic comedies might end. Remaining true to the importance of filial obedience in Asian culture, Nick and Rachel's engagement does not happen until Eleanor assents to it. Even then, she gives Rachel a brief smile instead of a big, warm "we accept you" embrace that we are used to seeing/expecting in western films. CRA shows the hard decisions Asian(-American)s make when dealing with family, love, and filial obedience.
Why Multilingual Children Thrive in Hong Kong
Children in Hong Kong grow up immersed in languages from all over the world. They use Chinglish to order food on the grungy side streets of Causeway Bay and Yau Ma Tei (gai daan zai / 雞蛋仔, anyone?). They mimic the MTR lady who asks passengers to “please stand back from the doors” in three languages. They even have the ability to identify nuances in the accents and vernacular of American, Australian, British, Canadian, Canto, Kiwi and Singaporean Englishes. While these three examples are idiosyncratic of children who grow up in Hong Kong, they also speak to three important reasons why multilingual children thrive in the 21st century.
Global Citizens/全球公民
The trilingual MTR lady teaches Hong Kong children to be global citizens. In this case, a child is exposed to three languages that communicate the exact same message. Global citizens are people “who identify with being part of an emerging world community.” In this example, children see language as the vehicle that carries a message to this world community, rather than fixating on language as an identity marker. In other words, multilingual children bridge linguistic identities and disrupt the ideology of One Nation, One Language (e.g., China = Chinese, Germany = German, Japan = Japanese). Research also demonstrates that children who speak multiple languages have heightened interpersonal skills and are often better communicators, which makes them strong players in building a global community.
Open-Minded Citizens/開明的公民
How does street food turn you into an empathetic citizen? The key is to understand what type of food we are talking about. While some vendors have waffles dripping with peanut butter and condensed milk, others have squid tentacles doused in barbecue sauce or cheese-filled beef balls that squirt when you take a bite. Moving indoors to the multicultural food courts of any shopping mall, children are exposed to new foods with foreign names like nasi goreng, bi bim bap, pho dac biet or daal chawal. But what does that have to do with being open-minded? Developing a multiethnic palette heightens children’s awareness of foods that are different from what they might normally eat at home, and cultivates an appreciation for things that would otherwise be labeled as grotesque, unappealing, or ‘other’. Research affirms this phenomenon as multilingual children readily embrace differences and are more likely to venture into another person’s shoes (or kitchen!)before casting judgment.
Intelligent Citizens/聰明的公民
Finally, beyond the obvious social advantages of speaking multiple languages, scientists show that being multilingual makes you smarter. While distinguishing between the various Englishes spoken in Hong Kong may seem like a trivial feat, the cognitive processes enabling this understanding should not be underestimated. In fact, research in the cognitive sciences demonstrate that bilingual children in the early years outperform monolingual counterparts on various mental puzzles and executive functioning skills. They also learn faster when presented with new speech or visual cues. Extending this research to the elderly population, bilingual patients are more resistant to the onset of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease than monolingual patients.
As children in Hong Kong are exposed to a diversity of languages, they have opportunities to become more global, open-minded and intelligent citizens. Now, it is our responsibility to equip them with the linguistic skills needed to fully thrive in Hong Kong’s globalised community.