Morning Keynote Speaker: Michelle Benegas, Ph.D
Title: Rethinking Academic Language: Flattening the Hierarchy and Centering Access
Abstract: At best, academic is an apolitical term that has taken on an exclusionary tone over time. At worst, it is a gatekeeping mechanism. The Language of Access responds to those who have been injured by linguistic hierarchy and redefines the teacher’s role in expanding learners’ linguistic repertoires.
Michelle Benegas, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Hamline University and co-founder of TESOL International Association’s School Wide English Learning (SWEL) Professional Development Series. A former secondary English Language Development (ELD) teacher, her career began in a newcomer high school. Her books include Language of Identity, Language of Access (LILA): Liberatory Learning in Multilingual Classrooms (Corwin) and Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (TESOL Press). She was the 2015 president of MinneTESOL and senior editor of the MinneTESOL Journal from 2020-2023. Her scholarly interests include ELD teacher leadership, systemic approaches to improving ELD services, raciolinguistics, and etymology.
Afternoon Keynote Speaker: Natalia Benjamin
Title: Language Development through Identity and Criticality
Abstract: Student success is intrinsically linked to classroom engagement and a positive classroom identity. When students feel valued and seen, they will develop a strong sense of self that motivates them to do well in school. We will explore personal experiences that exemplify how identity and criticality support students in schools to be successful as they develop their language skills.
Natalia Benjamin taught high school Ethnic Studies and Multilingual Learners in Rochester, MN and now works as the Director of Multilingual Learning. She was named the 2021 Minnesota Teacher of the Year and holds a National Board Teacher Certification. Her work focuses on advocacy for multilingual/multicultural education, identity work, Heritage Speakers, ethnic studies, language justice, and student-centered humanizing pedagogies. She shares many practical examples for teachers to enact these practices in the book she co-authored: Language of Identity, Language of Access: Liberatory Learning for Multilingual Classrooms (Corwin, 2024).
