How Multilingual Learners Are Portrayed in Recent News Media: A Cross-Platform Analysis

• In Event: Literacy, Power, and Public Discourse

Abstract

This paper explores how multilingual learners (MLs; named under various terms) are described in recent news media related to U.S. education. Drawing on a languaging lens, we use qualitative methods to identify what terms are used to describe MLs across popular news media platforms in 2022-2024, what topics are discussed in relation to these terms, and what discursive moves are used when describing these learners. Implications for MLs’ positioning and personhood are discussed.

Authors

• Lindsey Rowe, Clemson University

• Heather Dunham, Clemson University

• Katie McGee, Clemson University