Sarah Chepkirui Creider speaking into a handheld microphone

5 Sessions

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom

Led by

Sarah Chepkirui Creider

What happens when you see your multilingual students as crucial members of your classroom community, rather than as struggling students who need to catch up? Let's reframe language learning as an opportunity, not just for your multilingual students, but for the whole class. By focusing on language awareness, we’ll learn to help language learners develop crucial linguistic skills while also building critical thinking skills and language agency for all of our students.

This five-session series is designed to be experienced as a cohesive whole. Teachers are therefore encouraged to attend all five sessions.

About Sarah Chepkirui Creider

Sarah Chepkirui Creider has a doctorate in applied linguistics from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a conversation analyst and specializes in teacher-student interactions, teacher reflection, and applied conversation analysis. Her work has been published in Linguistics & Education; the Journal of Contemporary Foreign Language Studies; Learning, Culture & Social Interaction; Discourse Studies; Language and Information Society; and the Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice. Recent book chapters focus on applied conversation analysis in both community and classroom settings. Her co-authored book, Micro-reflection on Classroom Communication: A FAB Framework, was published by Equinox in 2021. Sarah’s work, as both an academic researcher and facilitator, is focused on what she calls a "micro-revolution"—the possibility for change inherent in each moment of everyday interaction.

Select Sessions

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom Session A

Sep 28, 2026 · 5:00 PMOnlineRegister by Sep 220.5 credits

Session A: What does it mean to be multilingual?

We start by placing our language stories, and those of our students, in a broader context. We explore our hidden assumptions about language learning and learn about diffusing anxiety as a crucial pedagogical tool.

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom Session B

Oct 15, 2026 · 5:00 PMRegister by Oct 90.5 credits

Session B: How can micro-moments have a macro-impact in our classroom?

This session focuses on observation as a new way to think about assessment and as a tool for teacher agency. We look at how micro-moments with students can have a macro-impact and explore the tiny cues students give us about their understanding, whether or not we share a language.

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom Session C

Oct 26, 2026 · 5:00 PMRegister by Oct 200.5 credits

Session C: How can grammar be a tool for agency?

Here, we rethink grammar, seeing it as a tool for agency rather than a set of rules. We explore a new kind of translation, one that moves between different versions of English, and discuss how explicit metalinguistic conversations support language learning, a sense of audience, and critical reading and listening skills.

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom Session D

Nov 9, 2026 · 5:00 PMRegister by Nov 30.5 credits

Session D: How can we provide multilingual learners with opportunities to showcase their thinking?

In this session, we separate reading, writing, and thinking. Our focus is not on how to simplify tasks and texts, but rather how to create opportunities for language learners to engage with reading and writing in age-appropriate ways. We examine methods and tools for working with texts that scaffold literacy while showcasing the brilliance of our multilingual students.

Multilingualism as an Asset to Your Classroom Session E

Nov 16, 2026 · 5:00 PMRegister by Nov 100.5 credits

Session E: How can conversation be a site for thinking together?

Even the shortest conversation is rife with choices. In this session, we will discuss classroom interaction in terms of purpose, roles, and goals, and learn how to teach pragmatic skills to language learners while developing academic speaking skills for the whole class.

Credits are checked per session as you register — if your school's balance runs out partway through, you'll be told exactly which sessions couldn't be confirmed.

First time here? Complete your teacher profile before registering.