Amplifying the Strengths of Multilingual Students
Multilingual students bring diverse perspectives, knowledge, and skills to our classrooms. When instructors recognize and build on these strengths, they create learning environments where all students can thrive.
Who Are Our Multilingual Students?
At UC Santa Cruz, nearly half of undergraduates in Fall 2017 were multilingual. These students may be international or U.S. educated, may speak multiple languages at home, and may identify with a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Understanding this diversity helps us better support their learning experiences.
Why a Strengths-Based Approach Matters
Focusing on what multilingual students can do—rather than on what they lack—encourages engagement, fosters belonging, and highlights the rich linguistic and cultural assets they bring to campus. A strengths-based lens also helps instructors design more equitable and effective learning opportunities.
Teaching Strategies that Amplify Strengths
Instructors can amplify the strengths of multilingual students by incorporating practices that promote clarity, flexibility, and multiple ways of participating:
- Make language transparent: treat idioms, jargon, and cultural references as teachable moments.
- Support comprehension: share lecture outlines, use visuals, and encourage peer note-sharing.
- Engage through equity-minded teaching and UDL: design multimodal assignments, integrate active learning, and provide structured opportunities for collaboration.
- Value linguistic diversity: invite students to draw on their full language repertoires in discussion, writing, and projects.
Additional Resources
Brown University – Supporting Multilingual Learners
UNC – Strategies for Inclusive Teaching
University of Toronto – Assessing Multilingual Writing
See Also
Uplifting First-Generation Students
Equity-Minded Teaching
Active Learning