Monolingual and multilingual teacher candidates: A critical language‐related events analysis

Abstract

This study examines critical language‐related events (CLREs) experienced by 28 teacher candidates (TCs) from various content areas at a US Hispanic‐serving institution, employing a critical reflection framework. Through narrative inquiry, it examines how these events shape TCs’ worldviews and behaviors about language use, language learning, and language teaching. The research identifies six main types of CLREs, with language discrimination and translation being the most common. These events primarily occur in educational and work contexts, affecting monolingual and multilingual TCs differently. The study reveals that such experiences often prompt language advocacy among multilingual TCs and increase language awareness among monolingual TCs. The findings highlight the need for language teacher education to address CLREs and support linguistically diverse TCs. By incorporating critical reflection on CLREs, teacher educators can equip future teachers to navigate the complexities of multilingual classrooms and challenge existing language ideologies. The study recommends further research on how TCs implement transformative practices based on their experiences with CLREs, as well as how LTE can effectively support this process.