Language on the Move Your Languages Are Your Superpower
Nov 16, 2025
Cindy Valdez, an EAL/D specialist and founder of Teach To Learn, shares her inspiring journey from the Philippines as a multilingual student. She emphasizes the importance of embracing home languages in classrooms and advocates for the inclusion of Indigenous dialects in language education. Discussing the diversity of EAL/D learners, Cindy highlights effective teaching strategies and the significance of whole-school approaches. With insights on cultural exchanges and supporting teachers, she passionately demonstrates how languages can be a powerful tool for connection and growth.
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From Migrant Student To EAL/D Advocate
- Cindy Valdez recounts arriving in Australia in year nine and feeling bright but unseen because of language barriers.
- That lived experience drove her to specialise in EAL/D and advocate for multilingual students' strengths.
EALD Learners Are A Diverse Majority
- EALD learners are very diverse: newly arrived, Australian-born multilinguals, and students from refugee backgrounds.
- About one in four students in classrooms require EALD support, so system-level planning matters.
Plan Hard, Teach Easy
- Plan hard and design scaffolds before teaching; anticipate vocabulary needs and pre-teach them.
- Use both designed-in scaffolding and contingent adjustments so lessons remain high-challenge and high-support.