Ep252. ft. Patrice Thompson - Language Is Identity: Why Inclusion Must Become a Whole-School Responsibility (Part 2)

What happens when a child learns that success requires hiding part of who they are? Part 2 goes deeper. Mike and Patrice Thompson move beyond classroom strategies to examine the psychological, cultural, and institutional consequences of language exclusion—and why genuine multilingual education requires much more than one passionate teacher. Students who feel pressured to suppress their home languages may also begin distancing themselves from culture, family, and identity. Patrice shares powerful examples from international education, including adults who later discovered they knew more about another country’s culture than their own. But this conversation is not only about what schools get wrong. It is about what they can change. Patrice explains why language inclusion must move beyond EAL, ESL or multilingual-learning departments and become a whole-school responsibility involving classroom teachers, leadership, families, and the wider community. They discuss leadership, teacher collaboration, family communication, language hierarchies, risk-taking, culturally responsive education, and the importance of allowing families to communicate with schools in languages they genuinely understand. And one statement captures the challenge: When language inclusion isn’t prioritised, it becomes optional. When it becomes optional, it becomes invisible. This is a conversation for educators who believe international education should be genuinely international—not merely English-medium education with international students. Want to continue learning from Patrice beyond this conversation? Patrice Thompson, M.Ed., MBA is an international educator, multilingual learning specialist, published author, and founder of Conex-Us Consulting, helping educators and schools move from simply celebrating multilingualism to intentionally designing learning that embraces students’ full linguistic identities. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricejthompson/ 🌐 Conex-Us Consulting: https://conex-usconsulting.com/ 🎓 The Translanguaging Mindset: https://learn.conex-usconsulting.com/translanguaging-course/ 🎥 The Translanguaging Teacher — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the.translanguaging.teacher 📚 Publications & Appearances: https://conex-usconsulting.com/publications-appearances/ 🧰 Translanguaging Guide: https://conex-usconsulting.com/translanguaging-guide/ Follow Patrice’s work, explore her resources, and take the conversation from the podcast into your own classroom and school. 🌐 Continue learning with the Languages Pedagogy Podcast at www.broadclubeducation.com #translanguaging #languageidentity #multilingualeducation #languageinclusion #schoolleadership #studentbelonging #inclusiveeducation #multilinguallearners