E81 – The Monolingual Bias: Advocacy for English Language Teachers (with Lillian Ardell)

In this episode of The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast, co-hosts Shé and Anna sit down with Dr. Lillian Ardell—founder of Language Matters—for a timely and deeply reflective conversation about monolingual bias and how it shapes English language education around the world. Together, they unpack how the assumption that English should dominate learning environments shows up in policies, classroom practices, assessment, and even well-intentioned instructional decisions.Rather than framing monolingual bias as an abstract concept, this conversation names how it operates in real contexts—and why it persists even in institutions that claim to support multilingualism. The episode invites educators to rethink whose language practices are valued, whose are marginalized, and how teachers can act with intention and integrity within complex systems.📚 Resources Mentioned in the EpisodeLanguage Matters (Dr. Ardell’s work and advocacy platform)Disrupting the Monolingual Bias: A Framework for Teacher Advocacy (Dr. Ardell’s book)Related Teacher Think-Aloud episodes:Episode 53 - Teachers as Advocates: You can do it too! 💡 Reflect with us:Where do you see monolingual bias showing up in your teaching context or institution?What classroom or institutional practices unintentionally reinforce English-only norms?What might quiet, everyday advocacy look like in your role?How can honoring students’ full linguistic repertoires strengthen learning rather than “distract” from it?This episode is sponsored by Ellii, one of the world’s leading content libraries for English language teachers. Looking for ready-made lessons that get students talking? Visit Ellii.com. Use code THINKALOUD for 15% off your first membership term. Admins can also request a two-month free trial to pilot Ellii for your program.📚 Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message00:30 Welcome to the Teacher Think Aloud Podcast00:42 Introducing the Topic: Monolingual Bias02:19 Guest Introduction: Dr. Lillian Ardell02:22 Dr. Ardell's Background and Work05:32 The Monolingual Bias in Education13:43 Common Classroom Manifestations of Monolingual Bias18:00 Advocacy and Overcoming Monolingual Bias18:31 Dr. Ardell's Upcoming Book and Advocacy Framework25:23 Teacher Advocacy in Practice29:24 Self-Care and Resistance Capital34:32 Final Thoughts and Reflections40:37 Conclusion and Call to Action