About Language In Practice

My name is Dr. Lyn Westergard and I am the founder of Language in Practice. For more than two decades, I've partnered with schools, districts, higher education institutes, and educational organizations to improve teaching and learning through consulting, professional learning, curriculum design, coaching, and applied research.

My work is grounded in my experience across PK–12 education as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, district leader, university instructor, and educational consultant. These experiences continue to shape my approach to partnering with educators.

I specialize in equity-centered instruction and increasing educational opportunities for all learners, especially multilingual learners. Whether designing curriculum, facilitating professional learning, conducting applied research, or supporting systems-level change, my work focuses on creating language-rich learning environments where every student has meaningful access to rigorous instruction.

My approach is informed by educational research and sociocultural theories of learning, with scholarly interests in educational equity, social justice, linguistic justice, and language development. I believe that the strongest educational solutions emerge when research and practice inform one another, and when lasting change is built alongside educators rather than for them.