Heritage-Relevant Digital Learning Design for Emergent Bilinguals

In this episode of the EduJedi Report podcast, host and Learning Counsel CEO LeiLani Cauthen speaks with Kristie Shelley, Senior Director of Emergent Bilingual Curriculum at Lexia Learning. Their conversation explores how digital learning can be designed to honor students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds while supporting strong academic English development.

Lexia English: Supporting Bilingualism and Multilingualism in K–6

Lexia English is a K–6 instructional product created to promote bilingualism and multilingualism by centering learners’ strengths from the start. Rather than framing a student’s home language as a deficit, Lexia approaches curriculum design through an asset-based lens. That orientation shapes instructional choices, content selection, and classroom interactions so learners feel respected and validated as they develop additional language skills.

The program aims to make oral language practice a central part of learning. Research and classroom observation have long noted that teachers often dominate spoken classroom interaction—studies indicate teachers speak as much as 80 percent of the time. Lexia intentionally flips that dynamic because meaningful language acquisition requires learners to actively produce language. Increased student speaking time supports fluency, confidence, and deeper internalization of structures and vocabulary.

Interactive Technology and Speech Recognition

To create opportunities for learners to practice speaking, Lexia English uses interactive technology, including speech recognition tools. These systems give students chances to use language in context, receive immediate feedback, and build confidence through repeated, scaffolded practice. Speech recognition supports oral language development by allowing learners to hear themselves, compare their pronunciation and phrasing, and try again in a low-stakes environment.

One important design choice is how characters and virtual interlocutors are presented. Lexia allows characters to reflect familiar accents and speech patterns to help learners feel comfortable and seen. At the same time, the program encourages the development of Academic English so students can access grade-level reading and writing standards. This balance—affirming home language and identity while scaffolding academic registers—helps learners transfer strengths across contexts and demonstrate progress in reading and writing outcomes.

What “Heritage-Relevant” Design Means

Heritage-relevant design is a learner-centered philosophy that intentionally connects instructional content to students’ cultural backgrounds, languages, and lived experiences. In practice, it means choosing texts, characters, images, and prompts that reflect students’ communities and values. When digital lessons validate a student’s identity, engagement increases and teachers can leverage home language as a resource rather than a barrier.

For emergent bilinguals, heritage-relevant materials do more than boost motivation: they create meaningful contexts for language use. When learners encounter topics and characters that resonate with their lives, they are more likely to take risks, participate in oral tasks, and transfer vocabulary and comprehension strategies to academic tasks in English.

Implications for Educators

Educators implementing heritage-relevant digital learning can take several practical steps: center students’ linguistic assets, build structured opportunities for oral practice, use technology to scaffold speaking and listening, and explicitly support the move from conversational language to Academic English. Professional learning that helps teachers shift from teacher-centered talk to student-centered interactions can also amplify the effectiveness of these tools.

Technology is a powerful complement to classroom teaching when it amplifies student voice, models high-quality academic language, and reflects learners’ identities. When design decisions prioritize both cultural relevance and rigorous language targets, digital programs can help emergent bilinguals grow as readers, writers, and confident communicators.

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