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With more than 10 million bilingual students in the United States, knowing how to support dual language learners in the classroom is vital. These tips will enhance your classroom experience and provide a more positive environment for your students.
1. Value the Diverse Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds
When children enter your classroom, they should instantly feel welcome and safe. International students and dual language learners sometimes feel pressure to fit in and uncomfortable sharing their backgrounds.
To help ease those worries, openly embrace cultural diversity in your classroom. Appreciate and discuss differences in cultural backgrounds, modeling the respect and acceptance that you want students to show one another. Finally, show them that you have a genuine interest in their lives by using teaching examples connected to their cultures.
2. Employ Different Instructional Strategies
Language development looks different for every student, and using multimodal learning activities makes your classroom more inclusive. Plan to use a combination of these activities:
- Lectures
- Small group work
- Whole class discussions
- Projects
- Games
In addition to using different types of activities, consider how your instructional strategies incorporate auditory, kinesthetic, and visual elements. Lessons that activate different senses meet the needs of more students, particularly those who struggle with certain learning styles, such as oral lectures.
3. Foster a Collaborative Atmosphere
In a dual language classroom, the teacher isn’t the only source of support—students should also help one another. Peer and group discussions give students the chance to practice their language skills in a more casual, low-pressure environment than when they speak in front of the class or for assessments. Including flexible seating and collaborative spaces in your dual language classroom setup supports these types of interactions.
Collaboration also helps students feel more connected to their classmates and thus more comfortable making mistakes. When you put students together for group or pair activities, try to use a combination of varied skill levels so they can learn from and help each other.
4. Leverage Visual Aids for Enhanced Understanding
Research shows that visual aids help students engage with unfamiliar topics and retain information. They also make it easier to grasp new ideas, access previous knowledge, and gain confidence.
For dual language learners, visual elements cross language barriers and provide them with a recognizable image of an otherwise abstract term. As a result, students can build their vocabulary more quickly and generally feel more interested in learning.
5. Promote Interactive Learning
Passive, independent learning has its place in a bilingual classroom, but it’s generally not as effective as interactive activities. When students silently read or listen to information, they’re less likely to understand and remember it.
In contrast, interactive learning allows learners to use language in new, creative ways. It also applies vocabulary to realistic contexts they experience in their everyday lives. Some of the activities you can try in your classroom include:
- Playing games like charades
- Creating bilingual storybooks or comics
- Roleplaying scenarios
- Listening to and discussing music
Breaking up passive instruction with a combination of these strategies makes the learning experience more enjoyable and encourages students to participate.
6. Create Multilingual Resources
Dual language learners can quickly become discouraged if they can’t understand classroom materials. With multilingual resources, such as bilingual books, they can make connections between their native language and English, improving their literacy skills. At the same time, these resources build their confidence and lessen their anxiety.
Providing students with additional resources in multiple languages also means they can share those materials with family members who don’t speak English. As a result, they can better assist their children and discuss what they’re learning at school.
7. Monitor Progress and Adapt Strategies
Think of your classroom as a work in progress, an environment that will change as you learn more about each student’s needs. Administer regular assessments to identify them, but don’t limit yourself to traditional tests and quizzes. Informal assessments are equally—if not more—important and allow for more frequent evaluations of students’ skills.
In addition, provide your students with regular feedback and checklists so they understand their mistakes before they become ingrained. Use assessment methods that incorporate both languages to get the most accurate representation of their abilities.
After assessing students’ progress, make changes based on what you’ve learned. Determine where students need additional support, eliminate unsuccessful methods, and tailor instruction to individual students.
FAQs About Dual Language Learners
What are some suggestions to support a dual language learner in your classroom?
You can support dual language learners in your classroom by using both languages in assessments and resources. You can also make learning easier for them by incorporating a variety of teaching strategies and activities into your lessons.
How do you support bilingual students in the classroom?
Support bilingual students by providing them with materials in both English and their secondary language of instruction. In addition, use visual aids that help with vocabulary development, engagement, and knowledge retention.
How does a teacher create a positive environment for multi-lingual learners?
To make the classroom environment more welcoming and inclusive, encourage students to talk about their cultures. Show interest in their lives and recognize important events they celebrate, such as holidays.
What kinds of activities are beneficial for bilingual children?
Interactive and collaborative activities are especially beneficial for bilingual children. In addition to written and oral instruction, have them participate in games, act out scenes, and listen to music to practice their language skills.
Set Up a Dual Language Classroom to Support Your Students
Multilingualism becomes more common each year, so learning how to support ESL students in the classroom is critical. Your degree program and professional development experiences can help you better support bilingual children both inside and outside the classroom.
City University of Seattle can get you on a fast-track to a teacher certification with our alternative route program and our dual language program. Request more information to begin your journey toward an education career.
Reviewed by Melissa Myers, School of Education and Leadership Enrollment Manager at CityU of Seattle.
