
Student agency through academic languaging with Dr. Margo Gottlieb and Dr. Gisela Ernst-Slavit
From Highest Aspirations by Ellevation Education
September 23, 2025 · 31 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the concept of academic languaging and its impact on student agency in multilingual education.
In this episode of Highest Aspirations, we speak with Dr. Margo Gottlieb and Dr. Gisela Ernst-Slavit about the powerful concept at the heart of their new book, Academic Languaging . They challenge the traditional view of academic language as a fixed code to be mastered, redefining it as an active, student-driven process that empowers multilingual learners. The conversation dives deep into the crucial role of student agency, exploring how authentic voice and choice can transform the classroom. Key questions we address: What is "academic languaging," and how does it fundamentally shift the traditional view of academic language? Why is student agency essential for developing academic languaging? What are practical classroom strategies teachers can use to foster student agency? For additional episode and community resources: Download the transcript here . Order Dr. Gottleib and Dr.Ernst-Slavit book Academic Languaging Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Community Brief For additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, visit our blog . Margo Gottlieb, Ph.D., has been a bilingual teacher, coordinator, facilitator, consultant, and mentor across K-20 settings…
People in this episode
Guests: Dr. Margo Gottlieb, Dr. Gisela Ernst-Slavit
Topics covered
- student agency
- academic languaging
- multilingual learners
- classroom strategies
- authentic voice
- choice in education
Keywords
- academic language
- student-driven process
- empowerment
- classroom transformation
- educational strategies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ellevation Education
Books & works: Academic Languaging
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