How do you teach multilingual students?

I have found that not only can language be a barrier but accessibility to technology can be. Students without internet access in their homes cannot access online video links and resources, and they cannot do assignments from online platforms. It is important to be flexible and open with these students. Make sure that they have access to technology requirements for your course and be flexible with alternate assignments when they do not.

I completely agree and believe that knowing students' backgrounds and learning needs can help foster trust in the classroom, between the learner and teacher and also create a more egalitarian atmosphere. Students, in my opinion, aren't empty vessels when they come to us and knowledge is always built upon their pre-existing schema.

I find it is of utmost importance to know what literacy skills the students have in their "other" language(s). Depending on their age and previous education, they might not be as literate in their "other" language(s) to successfully bridge between the new school/or language of instruction and their previous one. They might not know how to read and write in it for example.

One of the particularities of languages is their specificity to each individual. Factors such as culture, educational background and hobbies combine to shape one's relationship with a language (native or foreign). In that sense, blanket principles and rote teaching are fundamentally incompatible with the study of languages. Often, learners falling behind partially stems from a lack of relevant engagement on behalf of the teacher. This is why I strive to learn as much about my students as possible, in order to tailor my lessons to accommodate their various individualities.

Cultural sensitivity: we have to be aware of and respect the various cultures and languages in our classroom.This creates a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for all .

Teaching a/in a new language is a unique challenge in education because it forces students to learn an entirely new approach to understanding as a whole. We understand what we can express. So the learning environment must be especially nurturing and safe so that students feel they can make mistakes and remain comfortable and engaged in a much more intellectually fragile state than they otherwise would. This mostly means allowing students the space to ask questions, communicate and feel more in control of the class, in contrast to a more traditional lecture type approach to teaching. Promoting peer interaction is also fundamental because, as much as we can try, students will always feel more comfortable around other students.

Being sufficiently prepared for a multilingual class by learning some basic phrases to greet the students in their native language can assist to show that you encourage inclusive learning. Use fun, interactive peer assessment games for feedback and guidance.

Creating a supportive environment is fundamental in any classroom, but I feel that it's especially important in a multi-lingual or second language classroom. As an ESL teacher, one of the biggest challenges that my students face (both children and adults) is worrying about making mistakes. Instead of focusing on their mistakes or always correcting them, I find that encouraging them to share their experiences, interact with their classmates and or me as a teacher the best they can, even if they make mistakes or fall back on their first language, is one of the best ways to motivate them and make them feel comfortable in their classroom. Learning doesn't equal passing or failing. Learning equals growing and improving in an inclusive space.

When the whole class works like a team where more proficient students support the newcomers and make them feel safe to make mistakes, take a while longer to comprehend etc. the whole experience of learning the new language is much healthier and has better and faster results. Visual aids, gestures, body language surely helps, but make sure that you are aware of differences in the use of gestures etc. to avoid misunderstandings.

Curriculum adjustment is indeed the key approach ti all other approaches when relating to multilingual learners. Planning for the students/ learners success has to be deliberate. It cannot be over emphasized, lessons must be student/learner centered. Both the students'/learners' as well as, the teacher's creativity is given a chance to be showcased. The teacher as well as the students/learners learn to transform and build self actualization with the use of available and improvised learnings resources.

In my work with elementary multilingual learners, I did not adapt the classroom curriculum. Instead, I adapted my instruction of that curriculum, ensuring that students of all language levels could access it. It’s critical to remember that language acquisition takes place in the context of meaningful interactions. When we water down our instruction, we’re limiting students’ access to grade-level knowledge and curriculum. Instead, our job is to INCREASE English learners’ access to grade-level curriculum by maximizing comprehensible input through strategic linguistic scaffolding.

Teaching in a multilingual setting, whether it be teaching English or English as medium of instruction, can present challenges. One crucial factor to consider is the students’ proficiency level. Ideally, it is best if all students are at the same level, as it allows the instructors to employ consistent instructional methods. Additionally, the curriculum should be tailored to meet the individual goals of students. It is not feasible to use pre-selected syllabus for students in different semesters. Moreover, active student participation during the course is paramount. Striking a balance between teacher-led discussions and students engagement fosters a more inclusive learning environment and helps minimize psychological barriers.

One strategy of dealing with multilingual classroom is to understand learner backgrounds as this significantly help you in your approach to teaching and learning. Most learners often think in their language first before resorting to English and this impacts very much in their understanding. In my field of Maths, I find it helpful to emphasize on encouraging learners to acquaint themselves with mathematical English (vocabulary). Group work, question and answer, learner presentations all help in multilingual classrooms as it enhances communication skills which eventual is transferred into correctly speaking and writing mathematically.

One of the frameworks that my school is adopting is called the WIDA framework. I will try to highlight some of the main points regarding why I think it's an effective methods: -It embraces each learner's background and cultural heritage, and incorporates them in the content as much as possible -It applauds translanguage, and it will become less intimidating to use once you see the value of it in real classroom situations -There's a main focus on inclusivity, as it has been proven to hinder the learning process if/when learners don't feel that they belong and are welcomed in the learning environment -Differentiation is a key in the delivery of each unit, and is also done through various LAs like PBL, formative assessments, and homeroom time

If you are in a WIDA state and depending on your district, you can order the WIDA MODEL. It is used as a benchmarking tool. There are online and paper versions available for grades K-12. If you have RAZ PLUS from Learning A - Z, there is the ELL edition add on and it also has ELL assessment that tests all domains of language acquisition just like WIDA ACCESS. While I would say that MODEL is closer to ACCESS, the WIDA Consortium has RAZ PLUS as a WIDA approved literacy program. The assessments from RAZ does contain trackers, rubrics for all literacy domains, and various lessons to address deficits.

One strategy that I've found to be very helpful in supporting language development in multilingual learners is the process of leveraging students' strengths to promote new learning. Learning happens when connections are made between new and previously learned information. This is true for all learners. I study my students to determine how I can use what they already know to help them learn new information. That could be as simple as teaching a kindergarten EL that the sight word "and" is "y" in Spanish or making connections between paragraphs and essays when teaching writing skills to a more advanced EL.

Learning from real-life experiences is a wonderful way to grow one's own frame of reference. We learn while we 'do'. Constantly promote interactive participation in class to instill a sense of belonging and collaborative learning.

Get the family involved because 9 times out of ten, the family wants their child(ren) to succeed. Yet in some cases, some students may not have the privilege of having a family member with strong English literacy to practice with. Find bilingual videos geared toward certain topics on YouTube. If you’re unable to find videos, find out if parents / guardians know how to change the caption text on some YouTube videos. Therefore, both parents/guardians and students learn together. Sometimes you may need to assist in recommending instructional videos in the home language that connect to content for students in grades 1 - 12. Lastly, if time permits and you have the ability and energy, create a video of multilingual demo of a skill being taught.

In my experience, getting families involved really helps. Sending home a visual list of vocabulary (with a translation in their own language where appropriate), is really helpful. If the students have a limited understanding of the language you’re teaching in then having a list of words that they can pick out of a sentence in addition to the usual classroom vocab can build confidence and a language base too.

With a mindset of instructing and engaging via a pedagogy that pivots on show casing practical skills, for example: 1. Listening 2. Speaking 3. Responding 4. Conversing Learning objectives are sure to be met.