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If you are student teaching right now or working on clinical hours towards becoming a multilingual teacher, this article is for you!
Here’s what we cover in this read:
- My personal experience as a multilingual teacher
- Different ideas and teaching strategies
- Unique teaching tips to get you on your way!
The first time I walked into my multilingual classroom, I remember feeling excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I had just moved from teaching 4th-grade mainstream education to a new middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) teaching multilingual students.
I walked into the new building feeling scared and confident at the same time. Having worked with many ESL teachers, I was now in a different role – one typically considered support staff.
I created strong relationships with multilingual teachers at my prior school and knew how to make an essential bridge between the two to best support student outcomes.
My principal walked me down the hall to my new classroom – about the size of a teacher’s lounge. He showed me the space and opened the closet slowly, like a monster hiding in the shadows.
He said, “Here are all your materials; let me know if you need anything.” He gave me a high-five and walked out of the room gleefully.
I stared at the closet for a long time in disbelief. How could anyone teach this way? They filled the closet with different books, outdated worksheets, phonics drills, and vocabulary cards – all from the 1980s – from top to bottom.
The classroom had one table with about 10 chairs all around. Little did I know, those chairs would soon be occupied in no time with our future.
My students arrived, and here were some of my most significant challenges:
- They all had various basic education levels – some were never in school before that day.
- They were a mix of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students.
- Their English levels were all different. Some students had no English skills, while others were starting to acquire academic language.
- The cultures were extremely unique – some cultures placed extreme value on their child’s education, while for other families – it was not a priority.
- I had to figure out how to teach all of my new students with the materials I had while trying to accommodate and meet their unique needs.
Listed above, you’ll notice the many challenges I had to overcome my first year. However, with a little extra planning, a mentor (always good to have), and understanding what I could and could not accomplish that first year made things a bit easier – and you can do the same.
Welcome To The Field of Multilingual Teaching!
As a new Multilingual teacher, here are the top things I learned that will help you achieve success in your first year and beyond.
Connect and Create Critical Relationships with Mainstream Teachers Who Support your Students
Introducing yourself to the mainstream teachers who support your students in different academic areas is essential for student success. Creating these relationships early in the school year will make it much easier to tailor academic activities to ensure you meet student needs.
Since your students will come in at different levels, creating this bridge can make teaching more manageable and enjoyable for everyone.
Ongoing communication between the mainstream content teams and the multilingual department creates a more welcoming space for students, makes workflows more manageable, and provides the students with the support they need.
Know and Apply What You Can Control – Use the M.A.Q Method
During your teaching journey, many factors can affect multilingual student outcomes. These variables are things that are not in your control as an educator. For example, you can’t control your students’ ages, education levels, native language proficiency, demographics, socioeconomic status, or literacy levels.
However, you can control three significant areas, which is known as the M.A.Q. Method.
- Motivation
- Access to Language
- Quality of Instruction
By using the M.A.Q. ideas, you can transform how you view, experience, and teach second language acquisition and instruction.
Below is a short video describing the M.A.Q. method, and how to apply it in your classroom.
Focus on Practical Communication – Not Grammar Mistakes
Multilingual students benefit more from functional or social language skills (e.g., greetings and asking for help) than perfect grammar at the start. Have students work with their peers or pair them up with a buddy who can help guide them through the school day. This is a simple way to help multilingual learners practice social language, get more assimilated, and start to build confidence from a social learning perspective.
Also, when your students make grammar errors, you don’t have to point their mistakes out verbally. Use the correct grammar or phrases when responding in conversations. By encouraging fluency and real-world use rather than obsessing over minor errors early on, your students will pick up English quicker and be confident when interacting.
Be Culturally Aware
Learning about and applying what you know about your students’ backgrounds can ensure a smooth start for everyone. Your students will be pleasantly surprised, feel more welcomed, and will most likely be more successful when you show you’ve taken an interest in their cultures and lives. Pay attention and learn about cultural norms so you can avoid potential misunderstandings in the classroom.
It’s also a good idea for students to share their stories with their peers as soon as possible. If you are lucky to have a translator in your school, don’t be afraid to ask him or her to join you at the beginning (especially if most of your class speaks the same first language). A translator can help students understand each others’ lives, norms, and culture right off the bat – which can help make for an easier transition at the beginning.
Remember, in multilingual teaching, we don’t discourage a student’s first language, as it is the building block to learning and thriving in a second language.
Since you will encounter a wide range of students from different countries, study the countries your students come from and focus in on areas such as cultural norms, gestures, and traditions. What’s polite or typical in one culture (e.g., eye contact, humor) might not be in another – creating an inclusive space where all students respect each others’ cultures and traditions is critical to ensure everyone gets along.
Adaptability Is Essential – Be Flexible
No lesson plan survives contact with reality unchanged. Regardless of what you teach, you must be flexible in the classroom. With multilingual students, you will need to give yourself a good deal of grace, and focus on self-reflection (your own teaching – what works and what doesn’t work). Always be ready to adjust pace, skills, lessons, activities, or explanations based on students’ responses, comprehension levels, or unexpected challenges like mixed proficiency in one class.
Use Modern-day Resources to Assist with Comprehension Skills
Multilingual learners often struggle to understand spoken English due to accents, speed, or slang. Since the Internet was born, you have an incredible amount of material and content to choose from to help your students with language acquisition.
When you discover more of your student interests, you can then apply a strategy using tools from the web. Kids are engaged and learn more about different topics when they have an interest. Once you have that knowledge, you can go very far with your teaching. You will have the ability to create personalized lessons, pair students up with common interests (for both social and academic language), and you will find teaching more enjoyable when your students are engaged and learning at the same time.
For example, if your students are interested in Science, you can guide them to podcasts. Many students find podcasts both entertaining and enjoyable. At the same time, podcasts can help your students work on their listening and communication English skills.
These podcasts are examples of ways you can bring real-world learning into the classroom by focusing on areas your students enjoy.
Here are Our Top three Science Podcast Picks for Multilingual Learners
Hosted by Molly Bloom and kid co-hosts, this American Public Media podcast answers listener questions like “Why do we laugh?” with expert input. Its engaging, interactive style makes it a family favorite. Since families tend to listen to this podcast, it is also a great way for to encourage your students to listen and share at home. Often, most parents have a limited amount of English when they come to the States. You will find your students can be a lifeline to their parents- especially during those early critical years when they are assimilating to the new culture. Once you find some areas that your students like, try to encourage them to listen and share at home too. This way, you are helping everyone – from your students, to their parents, and finally to the community.
Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz host this Tinkercast show, mixing humor and Science to explore topics such as space and technology. Since they have a fun podcast and use songs – it’s an excellent tool for multilingual learners and can keep young listeners hooked.
Why is this podcast such a great resource for multilingual students?
Wow in the World is a great resource for multilingual learners because it combines engaging content with accessible language, making it both educational and enjoyable. The podcast explores amazing areas in Science Technology, and they discuss innovative topics in a way that appeals to curious minds – which can motivate learners to listen actively. Remember the motivation part from the M.A.Q practice? It fits perfectly here.
The podcast’s clear and transparent message make it a great listen. The hosts speak at a moderate pace with distinct enunciation, aiding comprehension without overwhelming beginners. Also, you’ll find they often explain complex ideas in simple terms, introducing new words alongside context clues, which naturally supports vocabulary growth.
The humor and playful tone, which is complete with sound effects and quirky characters can keep listeners engaged, making it easier to stay focused and process English.
Additionally, Wow in the World offers consistent exposure to storytelling and factual content, helping learners practice listening skills while learning about the world. Episodes are structured with a mix of dialogue, narration, and repetition, reinforcing key concepts and phrases. This format mirrors how we often teach English. Since we teach language through both repetition and context, you’ll find this podcast is a great resource to improve listening comprehension and fluency over time.
Lindsay Patterson and Marshall Escamilla share real science stories, often with scientist interviews. This podcast is suitable for all levels of learning English. They focus on academic conversations and have a great time discussing fun topics such as “What If Fish Had Legs?” This podcast provides a space for all English language learners at all levels.
Understand Classroom Management Can Differ with Language Barriers
Managing a multilingual classroom is different than managing a mainstream one. When planning your management strategy, start with clear, simple rules and routines – using visuals or gestures to ensure comprehension across language levels. Remember that consistency is key due to the many changes your students may be experiencing. Apply rules fairly and repeat them often to build a classroom routine with expectations.
To minimize issues, keep your students engaged with interactive, language-rich activities such as peer-share work, games, and online activities. Always use positive reinforcement to motivate participation.
Learners in the silent period need more positive reinforcements to garner the confidence to speak and interact. Minimize disruptions by addressing behavior calmly and redirecting focus to the task. For example, a gentle cue such as, “Wait, please,” can be paired with a gesture if a student speaks out of turn. This technique works much better than lengthy explanations or lectures your multilingual students can’t understand.
Giving clear instructions can be more challenging when students don’t fully understand. Use simple language, gestures, and examples to explain activities, and establish routines early to create a predictable, supportive environment.
With these ideas, strategies, and resources, you can walk into your new multilingual classroom with awe and confidence, ensuring the best possible outcomes for your students. Remember, you can only control what is in your classroom when you have the privilege of working with our future.
