Language Goes To School

A Land of Enchantment Podcast
  • 5.0 (15)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A podcast about multilingual education in New Mexico and beyond. We invite a wide variety of experts in the field of multilingual education to address theories, practices, policies, and issues related to multilingual education. The primary goal of the podcast is to provide a platform that brings the art and science of multilingual education from the classrooms, where it is practiced, to wider audiences. Your host is David Aram Wilson, a retired K-5 multilingual educator and currently a full-time lecturer at the University of New Mexico, where he educates future multilingual teachers.  You can contact us by tapping the Send us Fan Mail in the episode view of your podcast app, or via Facebook and Instagram @languagegoestoschool.  Our Gmail address is: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com.  Our website is https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com.  You can subscribe to the podcast by tapping Support the Show in the episode view. A $3/month subscription is actually a generous contribution to the show.  And please leave us a review in the show view of your app.  Final sound mixing by Auphonic.com.  Music by E. Grenga, C. Lawry, D. Stevens, M. McMahon/Ionics/RimoMusic.  Artwork by Simon Young at Guerrilla Graphix

  1. 4D AGO

    Rafe Martinez: "Signing Up" for English-ASL Dual-Language Education

    Rafe Martinez didn’t become a leader in deaf education in New Mexico because he’s deaf. He’s not. He became a leader in deaf education because his son was born deaf, and Rafe and the rest of the family needed to communicate with him. But Rafe quickly discovered that American Sign Language, or ASL, is not just for deaf students and their families. It’s also for hearing students whose parents are deaf. These students are known as CODA, or Children Of Deaf Adults. Then there are hearing students, whose special needs include the need to communicate through sign language because they are unable to communicate verbally. Finally, there are students who aren’t deaf, whose parents aren’t deaf, and who don’t have special needs. These students simply want to be fluent in two languages. But instead of pairing English with another oral language, such as Spanish, French, Mandarin, or Diné, they pair English with ASL. The problem was, however, that there were no schools in New Mexico that accommodated all four groups of students. So, Rafe created one himself, with the help of others interested in broadening the reach and influence of sign language as a mainstream instructional language. The result of their efforts is the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy, founded in 2008 as the only state-certified English-ASL dual-language school in New Mexico, and quite possibly in the United States. In this episode, Rafe relates his experiences with his son, Ben, the founding of the school, and much more. We even discuss Puerto Rican sign language interpretation at the 2026 Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show! Also addressed is language interdependence and language transfer.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    46 min

  2. APR 1

    Shooting for the Moon in Baoulé

    Those who don't speak the dominant language of their region as their first language know all too well that language status—and the consequences of it—are real. Without being entirely conscious of it, all societies have developed language hierarchies that place some languages in positions of prestige, at or near the top of the hierarchy, while relegating other languages to positions of subordination, at or near the bottom of the hierarchy. This is most evident in regions where, long ago, a colonial language established its dominance by declaring its superiority, while simultaneously suppressing the use of the indigenous languages that had been present in the region since the beginning of time. In this episode, we hear how awareness of language statuses played out in a remote Baoulé village in central Côte d'Ivoire in the mid 1980s when a woman from the village took a visitor from the United States to school, so to speak, regarding the topic of language hierarchies. We learn some handy Baoulé proverbs along the way. Also discussed: threatened languages and moribund languages.  Marie's Dictionary: The Last Speaker of Wukchumni: https://youtu.be/iRDmRXCizEM?si=D0H3T4CHUCqYRi3l Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    23 min

  3. MAR 1

    Molly Arévalo: Babel in the Desert

    On this episode of Language Goes to School, we speak with Molly Arévalo, a lifelong educator and language learner, whose journey reflects the complexity of heritage language identity. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Molly was raised in an English-only household in the mainland U.S. She later worked intentionally to reclaim Spanish as an academic, professional, and personal language. She studied Spanish and Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!), refined her Spanish while living in Chile, and began her teaching career with Teach For America on the U.S.–Mexico border in South Texas. Molly went on to teach bilingual elementary students, adult ESL and citizenship classes, and Spanish in Los Angeles for more than 20 years, earning two master’s degrees from California State University, Los Angeles in Bilingual/Multicultural Education and TESOL. She now serves as Associate Director of the Language Learning Center at the University of New Mexico, where she supports language learning across campus. Still studying French, while keeping her ambitions focused on several other languages, Molly embodies the idea that language learning is never finished.   To see a photo of Molly holding her award, go to Instagram and search for @unmllc. The photo was posted on February 19, 2026. To listen to Ben Wilson on ESPN radio, go to:  https://cagedminds.com/2026/02/caged-minds-fight-hour-ep-4-ben-wilson-on-bob-foster/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    42 min

  4. FEB 2

    Ricardo the Reticent: Clawing the Home Language Back From the Brink

    This is the true story of a boy we will call Ricardo, who was an enthusiastic young 4th grader in a Spanish-English dual-language classroom circa 2011. Due to circumstances completely beyond his control, Ricardo had by 4th grade essentially stopped speaking his native Spanish in favor of English. This was the case at school, where at least his preference for English was appropriate half the time. But it was also the case at home, where everyone in his family had continued to communicate almost exclusively in Spanish since the family’s move to the United States from South America. Everyone, that is, except Ricardo. Listen as we learn about the events that led to Ricardo’s loss of Spanish, and how he eventually started speaking it again. We also discuss language interpreters and language brokers. They’re not the same thing. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    27 min

  5. JAN 1

    Alvarez v. Lemon Grove (1931): Making Lemonade out of the Lemons of Segregation

    If you live in the United States and are familiar with only one decision handed down by a court of law, it’s probably the U.S. Supreme Court case known as Brown v. Board of Education. Specifically, that would be young Linda Brown, only nine years old when she sued her local Board of Education for sending her to an all-black school a mile and a half from her house, when there was a perfectly good white school right around the corner. But did you know this racial discrimination did not occur in the Deep South? It occurred in Topeka, Kansas, out on the Great Plains, halfway to California. And guess what? Race-based school segregation extended the rest of the way to California, as well. In fact, it was in 1931 that another young student, 12-year-old Roberto Álvarez, sued the Lemon Grove, California, Board of School Trustees for trying to separate him and 74 of his Mexican-American classmates from their Anglo classmates and send them instead to a “new” school that they and their parents considered no better than a caballeriza, or horse stables. Roberto won that case in San Diego County Superior Court, making it the first successful school desegregation case in U.S. history. In fact, it served as the earliest precedent for the Brown decision 23 years later. Listen as we tell the story of Álvarez v. Lemon Grove, one of the most important court cases in U.S. history that most people have never heard of.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    46 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    Ishtar Rosario Medina: Goddess of Love, War, Fertility . . . and Bilingualism

    In this episode, we visit with Ishtar Rosario Medina, whose educational and personal journey has spanned Puerto Rico, New York City, Mississippi, New Mexico, and now Minnesota. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the tradition of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Manhattan and Queens. At the age of 7, she returned to the island. Six years later, her path took an unconventional turn when her father implemented his idea of "homeschooling": enrolling her in his college courses at the University of Mayagüez. At 13, she was majoring in physics.  Despite often excelling beyond the levels of her older classmates, Ishtar dropped out and began a series of moves across the U.S. with her father, from central Florida to community college life in rural Mississippi, to several years as a substitute teacher in Hattiesburg—all while raising her oldest child. Inspired by her mother’s love for New Mexico, she later relocated to Albuquerque, where, after 12 years of accumulating college credits, she completed a BA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and TESOL at the University of New Mexico. She briefly taught 4th grade at a local charter school. A spontaneous trip to the Mall of America over Thanksgiving vacation in 2024 led to her current role teaching U.S. History in Spanish and Spanish Language Arts at the high school in Chanhassen, Minnesota.  As a lifelong bilingual learner, parent, and educator, Ishtar brings a rich perspective to discussions of bilingual education. Listen, enjoy, and learn from the stories behind her remarkable journey. We also discuss SUP and CUP, which, in case you're wondering, are not acronyms for Stand Up Paddle and Conditional Use Permit! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    41 min

  7. 11/02/2025

    Ina Montoya: So, You Want to Learn Apache . . .

    In this episode of Language Goes to School, we speak with Ina Montoya, lifelong educator, proud Jicarilla Apache (father’s side) and Navajo (mother’s side), and tireless advocate for the revitalization of Indigenous education in general, and Indigenous languages in particular. After years of teaching in the Dulce Independent School District of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Ina recently served as the district's superintendent, a term that culminated in being named the 2024 Administrator of the Year by the New Mexico Association of Bilingual Education. She is currently the principal of Lybrook Elementary and Middle School, located conveniently—and, more importantly, in perfect familial and geographic balance—between the traditional lands of the Jicarilla Apache and Navajo Nations in northwestern New Mexico. No matter the role in education she fills, Ina applies the warmth, humor, and dedication from every circle of her life to her efforts to promote high-quality Indigenous and language education. Consistent with her lifelong history of learning, Ina is currently pursuing a doctorate in Missiology. And if you’re wondering how she finds a proper work-life balance within her busy schedule, it’s easy: Ina is an accomplished fiber artist, specializing in crochet, knitting, and quilting. In this episode, we ask Ina about many of her talents and interests. In response, she weaves an instructive narrative about the importance of language, education, identity, and community for all who take the time to listen. We also discuss informal (BICS) and formal (CALP) registers of language. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    50 min

  8. 10/01/2025

    Nancy Oakes: Up, Up, and Away, in a Belle Montgolfière

    It is entirely possible to draw a straight line from the advent of human flight, to the world’s largest hot-air balloon fiesta, and thence to Nancy Oakes, our guest for this episode. That’s because Nancy was a high school French teacher in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, neighbor city of Albuquerque, the undisputed modern hot-air balloon capital of the world. It was there she established herself as a cultural, linguistic, and historical link between Albuquerque and Annonay, France, le berceau d’aviation, or the cradle of aviation. It was in Annonay that the Montgolfier brothers built and launched the world’s first hot-air balloon on June 4, 1783. Nancy created and maintained her status as an important Franco-American link by facilitating exchanges between American and French students from the two cities best known for hot-air balloons. But she didn’t stop with high school students. She has also been instrumental in arranging exchanges between hot-air balloon pilots in Albuquerque and their counterparts in Annonay. In a word, Nancy is all things balloons and French, therefore, the perfect guest for this episode, which we’re releasing just days before the start of the 53rd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We also discuss the difference between language equality and language equity.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Contact us! Text: Click on Send us a Text Message in the episode view of your app Instagram & Facebook: @languagegoestoschool Email: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com Website: https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com

    50 min
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

A podcast about multilingual education in New Mexico and beyond. We invite a wide variety of experts in the field of multilingual education to address theories, practices, policies, and issues related to multilingual education. The primary goal of the podcast is to provide a platform that brings the art and science of multilingual education from the classrooms, where it is practiced, to wider audiences. Your host is David Aram Wilson, a retired K-5 multilingual educator and currently a full-time lecturer at the University of New Mexico, where he educates future multilingual teachers.  You can contact us by tapping the Send us Fan Mail in the episode view of your podcast app, or via Facebook and Instagram @languagegoestoschool.  Our Gmail address is: languagegoestoschool@gmail.com.  Our website is https://languagegoestoschool.buzzsprout.com.  You can subscribe to the podcast by tapping Support the Show in the episode view. A $3/month subscription is actually a generous contribution to the show.  And please leave us a review in the show view of your app.  Final sound mixing by Auphonic.com.  Music by E. Grenga, C. Lawry, D. Stevens, M. McMahon/Ionics/RimoMusic.  Artwork by Simon Young at Guerrilla Graphix

Information

  • Creator
    A Land of Enchantment Podcast
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Language Goes To School
  • Show Website
    Language Goes To School

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