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Southwest launches multilingual conference; fosters connections among second-language learning communities

Multilingual Memphis coordinator and Title III Director, Joshua Nave, UofM assistant professor of Spanish and conference keynote speaker, Brianna Butera, and student panelists Jacqueline Alaniz, Jennifer Joya and Luis Lopez Gamez at the the plenary session.
Multilingual Memphis coordinator and Title III Director,
Joshua Nave, UofM assistant professor of Spanish and
conference keynote speaker, Brianna Butera, and
student panelists Jacqueline Alaniz, Jennifer Joya and
Luis Lopez Gamez at the the plenary session.

By Victoria Brown 

In collaboration with local community leaders, Southwest hosted its inaugural Multilingual Memphis, a regional conference focused on building better connections within second-language learning communities across the city.

The conference, took place on the Macon Cove Campus April 13, 2024, and consisted of several sessions, where local educators explained the benefits of being bilingual and the positive impact bilingual educators can have on students.

Memphis Shelby County Schools educators discuss ways of removing bilingual barriers for student success. 
Memphis Shelby County Schools educators discuss
ways of removing bilingual barriers for student success. 

Presenters at the event highlighted how speaking multiple languages is beneficial for both students and adults and noted that it’s important for educators to have intercultural awareness and sensitivity when engaging with students.

At the conference, local English as a Second Language Teachers shared a variety of approaches that can be utilized in the classroom to foster better community for, and amongst, students who come from a background where English is not the primary language.

Catherine Adams, a Spanish teacher and the language department chair at Hutchison High School, attended the conference to learn more about Memphis’ second-language learning communities and how to best support bilingual or multilingual students. 

Adams noted the benefits of speaking multiple languages from an educator’s standpoint.

“I think it helps to reach out to the community in a broader sense and helps you connect not only to students who speak Spanish, but to those who speak other languages as well at home,” Adams said. “Memphis has several multilingual and bilingual households, so I think being able to relate to them is beneficial. Being able to speak more than one language opens more doors as an educator to the families of the students, to the students themselves, and to the community in general.”

Javiera Navarrete, a Spanish teacher at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, and the TN Learning Center, attended the conference to learn more about the resources available for multilingual educators in the city.

Navarrete shared that it has been amazing working as a bilingual educator.

“You can really help people because you can teach in both English and Spanish, which can help them get an education in both. This can help those in the community get better opportunities,” Navarrete said. 

The conference wrapped up with a plenary session, where panelists discussed their experiences navigating through the English-focused education system, while coming from a home where their loved ones did not speak fluent English.

Panelists explained that, while being bilingual helps within the educational sphere, it also goes beyond that and extends into being helpful at home with their loved ones and within the local community, as well.

For more information about the Multilingual Memphis conference, contact Southwest’s Title III grant director, Joshua Nave, at jnave@southwest.tn.edu.