15 Min Language Story | Gianny Morales

What Students Bring With Them: A Story That Matters Right Now

There are moments when a conversation shifts the way you see the world—not In this 15-minute release from It’s About Language, Norah Jones shares a powerful excerpt from her earlier conversation with Gianny Morales (Season 5, Episode 3) ( https://fluency.consulting/2024/09/05/s5e3-gianny-morales-making-a-home-in-two-worlds/).

It’s a story rooted in experience—but one that feels especially urgent today.

Just days before this episode aired, news broke that the U.S. Department of Education was moving to shutter its Office of English Language Acquisition. While experts emphasize that schools’ responsibilities—and students’ rights—remain unchanged, the loss of centralized support raises real concerns about how effectively schools can serve multilingual learners across the country.

And that’s exactly why Gianny’s story matters.

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A Journey That Still Reflects Today’s Reality

Gianny shares his experience of immigrating to the United States in the mid-1980s—a time when support for English learners looked very different. Yet, decades later, he notes that many of the same challenges still exist.

Students continue to arrive with rich linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Families continue to navigate new systems. Educators continue to balance support with expectations.

But there’s also progress.

A growing understanding that students are not empty vessels—but individuals already carrying knowledge, language, and identity.

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The Shift That Changes Everything

What stands out most in Gianny’s reflection is the shift in mindset:

Instead of stripping students of their first language, educators are learning to build from it.

Instead of seeing difference as a barrier, they are beginning to see it as an asset.

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A Powerful Moment from Gianny

“Stripping a child from what he already learned… is very valuable, right? And they’re respecting that. They’re respecting their culture. They’re respecting their language… Let’s capitalize on that. Use what he already knows… and then we can build a fully bilingual student.”

This perspective reframes everything.

It’s not about replacing one language with another.
It’s about expanding what a student already brings.

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Why This Conversation Matters Now

At a time when structural support for English learners may be shifting, the responsibility becomes even more personal—more local.

It lives in classrooms.
In educators.
In communities.

Gianny reminds us that progress is possible when we recognize the value students already carry with them.

Language is not just something to be taught.
It’s something to be honored.

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Listen, Reflect, Share

This short episode invites you to pause and consider:

• What do students bring with them before they ever enter a classroom?
• How are we building from that—or overlooking it?
• And what role do we each play in shaping that experience?

In just fifteen minutes, this conversation offers a reminder that every student’s story matters—and that language is one of the most powerful parts of it.

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Resources

Season 5 Episode 3 : https://fluency.consulting/2024/09/05/s5e3-gianny-morales-making-a-home-in-two-worlds/

EdWeek: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/ed-dept-moves-to-shutter-its-office-for-english-learners/2026/04

Transcript

Norah Jones (00:05)
It’s my pleasure in this 15 minute language story episode to share with you an excerpt from my guest’s podcast in season five, episode three, Gianni Morales. If you have not yet had a chance to listen to Gianni’s podcast, please do. He tells a touching story of coming from Columbia, learning English, and he has so manyimportant insights into the importance of honoring the linguistic and cultural heritage and experiences of students as they add new languages to their repertoire. I’m especially interested in making sure that this story is heard and this talent sharing is fully digested because on April 14th, 2026, just a few days before I’m sharing this recording,

We received in the news that the Department of Education was moving to shutter its offices for English learners. Now, English learner experts and advocates, I’m reading now from Ed Week, remind educators that schools’ federal responsibilities to educate English learners and immigrant students remain with or without the office.of English language acquisition.

As do the programs that serve them, along with students’ rights. Still, ongoing quoting from these experts, the loss of a central federal office for these students will complicate states and schools’ ability to best serve them. As you listen to Gianni’s experiences here, potentially as you access his episode, Seasonfive, episode three, remember that these young learners are bringing skills and languages, backgrounds and talents that they are ready to share with their new culture and that we need to be able to assure their access and no matter where they live in these United States, their equitable experience of language, education and growth.

Gianny Morales (02:35)
I think the closest I am and the people that identify the most are the people that are in front of the newcomers they’re, really the ones that are presenting that true challenge.

When I migrated to the US, it was 1985, 84, 85.

And we’re 2024 and they’re still dealing with this issue. know, they’re still receiving all these kids from different countries that are coming with the culture and the language and their families I think what has changed in a positive way is that they finally understood that stripping a child from what he already learned in those four or five years while he wasn’t in the classroom is very valuable, right? And they’re respecting that. They’re respecting their culture. They’re respecting their language. They’re respecting their deficiencies. So I think we’ve made a huge progress in bilingual education when you see resources that are emphasizing in the native language.

Alright, so this student or this kid has basic knowledge of Spanish or Italian or French.

So this kid has basic knowledge of Spanish or Italian or French.

You know, let’s capitalize on that. Let’s teach him the right way and use what he already knows to make sure he knows how to read and write. And then once we have that, we can do the second language.

You know, and we have a fully bilingual student by the age of 10. And then you can throw in another foreign language in middle school and high school. And so, you know, that’s kind of like my multicultural experience in where I stand now.

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