We are a group of researchers and educators passionate about the recognition and meaningful inclusion of students’ language knowledge and experiences in their learning across diverse contexts.

In education and training contexts around the world, teaching frequently happens through one chosen language of instruction. This is usually a particular variety of a dominant language in society and/or a lingua franca. In cases where there is more than one language of instruction, languages can be confined to different teaching and learning spaces.

In our research and teaching, we understand that the life experiences of students from diverse backgrounds are often marginalised in formal education, and this happens in a variety of contexts. We try to enhance teaching and learning by exploring how we can leverage different kinds of language practices in ways that benefit students' learning.

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We aim to help students to learn the language they need to do well in their education, but this is not the only objective. We are interested in students’ ability to think critically and creatively, using a fuller range of their linguistic resources. Through our research, we also know that the inclusion of students’ language practices in formal education can support language maintenance at home and in the community.