Have you recently welcomed a new child to your school from abroad?

If so, your school's focus is likely on helping the child learn English to catch up with classroom lessons. However, have we ever stopped to wonder how they feel in a new space with a language they don't understand? For example, imagine understanding a lesson but being unable to express it because the language is unfamiliar.

In our rush to equip the child with English skills, we often miss the fact that they already possess a language—a rich set of social and educational skills that we simply can’t measure in English yet. This focus on English alone may add stress and anxiety for the child, the teacher, and even the family. But is this really the best approach? What if the child could access learning in their home language while gradually acquiring English? By embracing multilingualism, we might open up a world where they thrive academically and emotionally, right from the start.

My name is Soofia Amin. I am an Assistant Head at Kensington Primary and, furthermore, a trainer for multilingualism in schools. I would like to share with you a far more equitable way of approaching those pupils who are using English as an Additional Language (EAL), through a multilingual approach. This approach encourages us to support pupils to develop all of their languages, making learning richer and more inclusive. Often, with EAL, we focus on what is lacking. Embracing multilingualism allows us to recognise our pupils' linguistic identities and support them in bringing all their languages into the classroom. By taking an asset-based approach to languages, we are unlocking the true potential of our pupils, tapping into the strengths of our multilingual learners – educationally, socially, and culturally.

At Kensington Primary School, we started our journey to multilingualism three years ago, and it’s been an incredible journey. Along the way, we asked ourselves some big questions: How can we bring students' home languages into the classroom? What spaces can we create to honour these languages? What does the latest research say about the power of multilingualism? And how can we let families know just how valuable their languages are? These reflections have helped us shape a vibrant and inclusive approach where every language is nurtured, and every child feels valued.

What impact have we seen since this shift in approach?

Pride in home languages: Our pupils take pride in their languages, whether translanguaging in the classroom, helping peers understand content, or rewriting work in their home language. They engage in lively discussions, share stories, and compare languages using their full linguistic abilities. This excitement extends beyond the classroom—families have embraced the journey with us, donating storybooks, reading to classes in their home languages, and even running after-school clubs. Languages have become visible and celebrated, and this enthusiasm continues to grow stronger every day!

Empowered teachers: Our shift to a multilingual approach has completely transformed how teachers see their classrooms. No longer focused solely on students as EAL learners, teachers now view their classrooms as rich with language, packed with linguistic assets. This change empowered teachers to use these languages more effectively in lessons, unlocking new possibilities for asset-based teaching. It has been a wonderful transformation to see teachers encourage pupils to write or explain their learning in their home language when English isn’t enough.

Stronger family and community ties: Multilingualism has strengthened the bonds between students, their families, and our school community. By preserving and celebrating home languages, we’ve improved communication and connection within households (Soto & Pérez-Milans, 2021). Parents have shared that their once reluctant children are now eager to speak Bengali or Gujarati at home. A moment that truly touched us was when a Year 4 boy found a Shona poem in our multilingual library. He sang it to us, recalling how his mother used to sing it to him at bedtime, sharing that he wanted to reconnect with his heritage language. Moments like these highlight the power of multilingualism in fostering deep, meaningful connections.

The power of an asset-based mindset on multilingualism in education cannot be overstated. Embracing this mindset not only enhances educational outcomes but also builds a more inclusive, diverse, and thriving society, where every pupil's linguistic heritage is valued. As one Year 6 pupil beautifully put it, "I never knew me having another language mattered."

4o miniIt’s actually amazing what I can do in Italian!” Yes, it is amazing! Let’s welcome languages into our classrooms and schools, giving multilingual learners the recognition they deserve.

References:

-Reference: Department for Education (DfE), 2023. National statistics on pupils with English as an Additional Language.

-Soto, M., & Pérez-Milans, M. (2021). Multilingualism and education: A critical analysis. International Journal of Multilingualism, 18(2), 133-152.