Using Multilingual Approaches to Support English Language Acquisition
This spotlight explores the use of multilingual approaches for the purpose of supporting English language acquisition, shares examples of statewide approaches, and highlights strategies for program design and instruction.
This spotlight explores the use of multilingual approaches for the purpose of supporting English language acquisition. Taking a multilingual approach to adult English language acquisition has cognitive, sociocultural, economic, and educational benefits for immigrants and refugees who participate in these activities, and for communities. This document shares examples of statewide approaches and highlights strategies for program design and instruction. Finally, the spotlight concludes with a checklist that practitioners may utilize to reflect on the best ways to integrate a multilingual approach into their own programs.
This resource is beneficial for instructors and administrators who are interested in learning more about asset-based approaches that allow learners to access their full linguistic repertoire for the purposes of accelerating their English proficiency. Benefits include supporting the development of English, encouraging multilingual adults to take advantage of their previous experiences and knowledge throughout the language learning process, drawing on multilingual adults’ language capabilities to prepare them to meet the increasing demand for bilingual work, and addressing family literacy needs through developing and preserving the home language(s) and bringing intergenerational benefits.
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