Research and Policy: Developing Biliteracy: What Do Teachers Really Need to Know about Language?

In the United States, monolingual schooling contexts are the norm. Yet with increasing linguistic diversity among students, all teachers need to be prepared to support bi/multilingual children’s literacy development. How? Ultimately, we need to move away from a monolingual norm to understand that (a) language(s) are sets of practices rather than abstract structures, and (b) bi/multilingualism is normal around the world. Supporting students’ development of new language practices in school requires embracing the diversity of language practices students bring into the classroom—including hybrid, vernacular, and other everyday language practices. In our article, we describe this more dynamic understanding of bilingualism, share research that engages related pedagogies, and provide grounding for the possibility that even monolingual teachers, in any schooling context, can support biliteracy development for bi/multilingual students.