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This paper examines how two language educators of color developed critical multilingual language awareness (CMLA) in a combined youth participatory action research and teacher education program. Specifically, as a multilingual and diverse group of educators, we chose to use Latin@/o Critical Theory (LatCrit) as our methodology to align with the epistemological framework of YPAR. By sharing the lived experiences and insights of the two educators over the course of the program, our reflexive study demonstrates how multimodal ways of meaning making supported them in challenging deficient perspectives of minoritized languages and in changing their pedagogical practices to be more equitable. By implementing YPAR programs with a clear focus on CMLA, we become aware of our own language ideologies and grow to understand the socio-political discourses that inform our interactions with youth. Implications include the significance of incorporating multimodality and participatory pedagogies into teacher education and thereby facilitating opportunities for teacher candidates to gain awareness of the power dynamics in multilingual education.

Multilingual learners represent a tremendously diverse group encompassing various languages, cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities. However, the current U.S. educational system tends to overlook the linguistic diversity multilingual learners bring to the table and label these students as deficient in English proficiency. The narrow viewpoint fails to recognise the richness and complexity of students’ multilingualism, dismissing the cultural and linguistic assets and unique perspectives they offer. Consequently, multilingual learners are often placed in remedial or segregated programmes, perpetuating a cycle of marginalisation and inhibiting their academic success and social growth. This study explores how teachers conceptualise the language proficiency of multilingual learners and make deliberate pedagogical adjustments in their language classrooms. Guided by Butler’s concept of performativity and the production of identity, the analysis highlights that teachers’ perception of multilingual learners’ language proficiency exhibits both counter-hegemonic perspectives and limitations. The findings also reveal that teachers’ critical understanding of multilingual learners’ identities informs their implementation of critical pedagogies in classrooms. By amplifying teachers’ voices and bringing their perspectives into public discourse, the study aims to contribute to future research and inform policy developments that support multilingual students in equitable ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]