The US education system is becoming more ethnically and linguistically diverse. That means the ability to code-switch and fluency in communicating with a diverse range of people are becoming more essential to success in school and in the wider world. Being able to communicate with people from diverse language backgrounds empowers us to grow and sustain relationships – both personal and professional – with a wider audience than ever before. With an increasingly globalized workforce and technology that empowers us to redefine and cultivate “community” in expansive new ways, supporting effective code-switching between dialects of English and between different world languages is essential in 21st century education.

Students from diverse language backgrounds are generally more adept at code-switching than are monolingual students whose home dialects are similar to academic English. Of course they are – they have to practice on a daily basis! And yet, these students are more likely to be labeled as “behind” or “deficient” by our school systems. We can create equity for students from diverse language backgrounds by recognizing and celebrating the unique skills they bring to the classroom that empower them to successfully navigate a wide range of language contexts.

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