Positioning Multilingual Learners for Success
By Valentina Gonzalez
Gonzalez writes that success for multicultural learners is based on feeling like they belong. To achieve this, she stresses the importance of a personal connection to the books that young students read. Because of that, she advocates for “culturally inclusive practices” which foster success for multilingual learners because they can see themselves in what they read. “Research indicates that students are more likely to engage in independent reading when provided with culturally inclusive literature.”
Additionally, books about diverse other cultures can help all children to develop empathy towards others. “The more our students empathize with each other—the more they relate to one another and realize that each of us is unique, that we are all different, and that differences make us powerful—the stronger our chances are that they will embrace each other and embrace new perspectives.” Gonzalez recommends that classes read a book together, and discuss it, allowing each student to relate to the story in their own way. When she did this in her class, students reread the books on their own.
“Reading and writing classrooms around the world are filled with unimaginable amounts of potential to improve the academic, linguistic, and social success of multilingual learners of English (MLEs).” Gonzalez and Huynh offer practical advice on how to tap into this potential.
