Dr. Luigi lannacci, a professor at Trent University’s School of Education, says his research with students who are culturally and linguistically diverse shows that recognizing and using assets they already possess leads to success in classrooms. Using a student’s first language, for example, rather than viewing it as an impediment to learning English and providing context-rich learning opportunities that are meaningful and engaging helps linguistically diverse students flourish.
Professor Iannacci advocates for classrooms that are multilingual with items such as shelves, blackboards, and doors labelled in different languages, and for the use of bilingual books.
The Trent School of Education offers a wide range of programs that include undergraduate, graduate, professional and certificate options. The Indigenous Bachelor of Education program is geared towards students who identify as Indigenous.
