This seminar explores what it really means to be bilingual or multilingual and why it matters in everyday life, college, and future careers. Using a real-world, sociolinguistic lens, you’ll examine how language connects to identity, culture, power, and opportunity, and how knowing more than one language can open doors academically, personally, and professionally.

Through collaborative projects and discussions, you’ll explore how people think, speak, and write across languages, and how language choices shape communication in different communities and settings. Topics include multilingual identity, language and power, bilingual education around the world, and intercultural communication. You’ll learn how languages function beyond the classroom and why language diversity matters in society.

This course is designed for students at all stages of language learning. Whether you are just beginning a new language or building on one you already know, you’ll discover practical strategies to support your own learning and confidence. You’ll also explore how bilingualism and multilingualism play a role in careers such as education, healthcare, business, social services, community advocacy, and more.

The seminar includes a hands-on community engagement component, with visits to local multilingual organizations and communities in the Seattle area. These experiences connect course ideas to real people and real places, helping you see how language is used to build relationships and create impact.

Taught by faculty with expertise in applied linguistics and heritage and second-language education, this course offers an inclusive and comparative approach to multilingualism.

Ready to explore your language story, strengthen your skills, and use language to make a difference?

This course is taught by two instructors:

• Assistant Professor Angélica Amezcua, UW Spanish and Portuguese Department 
• Assistant Teaching Professor Ha Nguyen, UW Asian Languages and Literature Department