The Role of Language Proficiency in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: Evidence from Teach for Austria Fellows

Language proficiency remains one of the most persistent yet overlooked dimensions of educational inequality. In multilingual Austrian classrooms, limited German skills often determine how students are perceived and how successfully they participate in learning. Drawing on 156 qualitative reflections from Teach for Austria fellows collected during the 2025 Summer School, this study explores how language barriers shape both student engagement and teacher responses.

Research paper - work in progress