Language Matters

Ideologies, Student Success, and Persistence

  • image of tiles that say "trust" to symbolize the impact on educators and learners when a focus on language is valued and sustained in educational spaces and systems

    Words aren't just words: Language Awareness, Attitudes, and Ideologies

    This series offers educators, academic leaders, and student support staff tools to examine how language ideologies influence communication, opportunity, and outcomes in academic settings. Participants will gain awareness of the subtle ways attitudes toward language impact relationships and student experiences. Through guided strategies, you’ll leave with actionable tools to foster stronger trust, build inclusive learning environments, and engage more effectively with multilingual colleagues and students.

  • image of graffiti that says “together we create” to symbolize the impact that language training and language development can have on the collective potential to create increased opportunities for educators and learners when we focus on language.

    Recognizing and Redirecting Exclusionary Language in Student Support

    This series guides educators and student support staff in recognizing how everyday communication can unintentionally reinforce hierarchies of belonging and exclusion. Participants will learn strategies to redirect language in ways that are inclusive, strengths-based, and student-centered. For advising cohorts, this session includes hands-on methods to audit student communications, helping offices improve engagement, strengthen student self-perception, and foster positive advising relationships. You’ll leave with clear, actionable approaches to language that uplift and empower students.

Contact to schedule a consultation or get a quote for the Language Matters Series

Client Reviews

“The most useful course in recent memory. Thank you!”

— Senior Lecturer and participant in Popular AI Tools for Educators

“The teaching and presentation of materials is top-notch.”

— Senior Lecturer and participant in Popular AI Tools for Educators

“We love seeing how you’re integrating critical thinking and hands-on exploration of AI tools into your training. Empowering scholars to understand both the strengths and limitations of these technologies is such an important skill. Excited to see the impact of this series!”

— UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education
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Meet Your Instructor

Meet Dr. Marinka Swift

I've spent 15+ years helping international educators navigate the exact challenges you're facing right now - from publishing in English to presenting research confidently to integrating AI tools without losing your authentic teaching voice.

Through my work designing professional English curriculum for UC Davis's Bolashak Scholars Program and training educators across diverse international contexts, I've learned what actually works for busy faculty juggling teaching, research, and professional development in a second (or third, fourth, fifth!) language.

My approach is grounded in real experience: I'm a language learner myself (C2-level Italian, intermediate Spanish), I've taught everyone from high schoolers to university faculty, and my research on language and belonging directly informs the practical strategies I teach.

These courses distill everything I've learned into actionable frameworks you can implement immediately - whether you're preparing for your next conference presentation, drafting a research paper, or building your professional network in English.