Episode 48: Embracing Multilingualism as an Asset with Natasha Viñales | Why Multilingualism Benefits Every Learner | Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell
33m | Apr 27, 2026Episode 48: Embracing Multilingualism as an Asset with Natasha Viñales | Why Multilingualism Benefits Every Learner | Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell
Welcome to Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell, the podcast for teachers, school leaders, EAL specialists, and educators who are passionate about supporting multilingual learners and creating inclusive learning environments where every language is valued.
In Episode 48, Helen Bodell is joined by Natasha Viñales, an advocate for multilingual education and equity, to explore the transformative power of multilingualism in schools and classrooms.
Drawing on Natasha’s article, “Multilingualism Is Not Support for Some; It Is Pedagogy for All”, this episode challenges the idea that multilingual approaches are only needed to support pupils learning English as an additional language.
Instead, Helen and Natasha explore how multilingualism can be recognised as an educational strength that benefits all learners by enriching classroom experiences, developing cultural understanding, and creating more inclusive approaches to teaching and learning.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why multilingualism should be viewed as an asset rather than a challenge.
- How multilingual approaches can benefit every learner.
- The relationship between language, identity, and belonging.
- How schools can incorporate multilingualism into everyday classroom practice.
- The benefits of bilingual and multilingual learners sharing their languages.
- Why inclusive language education strengthens communities and learning.
Multilingual learners bring valuable linguistic and cultural knowledge into classrooms. By embracing these strengths, educators can create learning environments where diversity is celebrated and every pupil has the opportunity to thrive.
Whether you are a classroom teacher, EAL Lead, school leader, parent, or advocate for inclusive education, this episode offers inspiration and practical ideas for rethinking the role of languages in education.
Meet Natasha Viñales
Natasha Viñales is an advocate for multilingual education and equity. Her work focuses on recognising multilingualism as a powerful educational resource and supporting schools to develop more inclusive approaches to language learning.
Through her research and advocacy, Natasha encourages educators to move beyond viewing multilingualism as an intervention or support strategy and instead embrace it as a valuable part of effective pedagogy for all learners.
Read Natasha’s article
“Multilingualism Is Not Support for Some; It Is Pedagogy for All”
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