# data[].attributes.headline
The use of L1 in English language teaching- research paper

# data[].attributes.subject
The use of L1 in English language teaching- research paper

# data[].attributes.body
When teachers share the same L1 with the students the use of it might increase, therefore teachers should be careful so students learn to think in English. (research paper)

# data[].attributes.headline
Using Learners' First Language (L1) in the English Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Using Learners' First Language (L1) in the English Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Avoid anxiety by using L1 in your lessons. (video)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Learners' First Language (L1) in the English Classroom

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Strategies to Balance the Use of L1 and English in the ESL Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Strategies to Balance the Use of L1 and English in the ESL Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
It is ok to allow L1 after students have read something in English and need to discuss the topic. (blog)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 2019, I wrote a blo g for TESOL entitled "Should ELs Be Allowed to Speak Their L1 in School?" In this blog, I quoted Fred Genesee in an article he wrote titled " The Home Language: An English Language Learner's Most Valuable Resource." According to Genesee, there is indisputable evidence that the L1, or home language, of multilingual learners is of considerable benefit to their academic success. I personally believe that we need to allow MLLs to speak their home language in school and that using L1 in school helps them acquire English. There are circumstances, however, where MLLs need to focus on speaking English to complete assignments.

Teachers need to set fluid policies that specify the situations where home language should be spoken and other situations where English should be spoken. When MLLs are discussing something they read in English, for example, they should certainly be allowed to speak their home language.
2. Have Students Brainstorm the Value of Learning English
Write their responses on a chart so that all students can see them. You want students to see the real-world benefits of learning English. You also want them to take pride in their home language and culture. I've used a Venn diagram to have MLLs compare and contrast the reasons to learn English and the value of maintaining their first language.
3. Provide Multilingual Learners With Comprehensible Input
One of the reasons that students may be speaking their home language throughout their ESL class period is that the material being presented may not be adequately scaffolded. MLLs must be able to comprehend the material that they are learning. Teachers need to provide comprehensible input using visuals, realia, and multimedia as well as link new information to prior knowledge. To get ideas for scaffolds, see my TESOL blog, "10 Scaffolds for Supporting EL Learning." You may want to encourage students to discuss difficult vocabulary or key ideas in their home language.
4. Have MLLs Work in Small Groups
Encourage MLLs to speak their home language in order to understand directions for an activity and to learn key concepts. Once students are in groups, give directions for the activity you want them to complete in English and then allow students to discuss the directions in their home language. Give MLLs real reasons to speak English. You can get much more productive student talk if you base those discussion on something that is meaningful to your students. Find activities that touch your MLLs' lives. Give them a goal that needs to be reached. The task should be at the MLLs' English language development levels.
5. Set Very Specific Tasks for Practicing English
A lesson plan that has the goal that "MLLs will practice speaking English" is not a good plan. It's important to set very specific tasks for MLLs to complete in their groups. Before having students begin their group work, teachers need to preteach the necessary vocabulary and be sure that MLLs understand the key concept, and then give a specific assignment.

For example, if you're studying "The growth of cities in the 1800s," ask students to make a drawing of one of the items people could find in the cities in the 1800s that was not found in the countryside. Have them find three facts about that item. These might include tall buildings, elevators, trolley cars, and tenements.
6. Remember to Respect the Process of Translanguaging in the Classroom
Research has shown that multilingual students do not have two or more separate languages. They have one linguistic repertoire that consists of features of the languages they speak. They pull information from all the languages as they work in school. This translanguaging is normal in multilingual communities. Also, MLLs use their home language to learn English. Guide students to use all of their linguistic abilities in academic classrooms throughout the day.

So, the answer to the question posed in the title-"what language should multilingual learners speak in the ESL classroom?"-is that MLLs should be encouraged to use all of their linguistic repertoire to complete academic work in school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Strategies to Balance the Use of L1 and English in the ESL Classroom | TESOL | International Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1. Set a Policy About Language Use in Your Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Valuing multilingualism

Here you will find videos of two webinars and a panel discussion from specialists in multilingual approaches. All sessions explore how you can use your learners' home languages, also referred to as L1s, as a valuable resource to help them learn. Our speakers offer inspiration for taking a multilingual approach and share effective strategies for using learners' home languages in class. The two webinars are followed by a panel discussion with expert teachers sharing tried-and-tested ideas for celebrating and taking advantage of the linguistic diversity in your classroom. The live event took place on Thursday 18 July 2024.

About the sessions

Session 1: L1 in the young learner classroom

Speaker:

Adrienn Szlapak (Malaysia)

Session information:

The workshop explores research supporting the notion that incorporating learners' L1s is an asset in language classrooms. We then delve into the practical aspects of L1 use, providing effective classroom management tips and addressing anticipated challenges. Viewers will gain ideas on how to integrate L1s to support English language development, and to effectively manage a multilingual classroom environment. Finally, we focus on pedagogical frameworks that embrace the use of L1s in the young learner language classroom.

Session 2: Multilingual lessons from my classes

Speaker:

Huma Hasna Riaz Ahmed (UAE)

Session information:

'No Arabic here, please.' 'Sorry, Spanish is not allowed here.' How often do we hear ourselves uttering such phrases to our learners? It isn't true that when one language is on, the others are off. The concept of multilingual teaching challenges this notion. In my classroom I have witnessed the positive impact of this approach on my lower-level adult learners. In this webinar I share my classroom experiences and practical multilingual teaching ideas adaptable to various contexts. I also present strategies for incorporating home languages to facilitate language learning.

Session 3: How can we celebrate multilingualism in our classes? (panel discussion)

Speakers: Andrea Collados (Argentina), Chathuska Undugoda (UK), Guilherme Meira (Brazil)

Session information:

Three teachers from around the world discuss issues and activities related to teaching multilingual classes and/or using L1 in the classroom. Learn practical tips for your classrooms.

About the speakers

Adrienn Szlapak is an experienced EAL/ESL specialist, who is also involved in teacher training and academic management. She holds an MA in Cognitive Linguistics, a Cambridge DELTA and a PGCE(i). She has been blogging about ESL and EAL both on her personal blog, ealdiaries.com, and on the IATEFL YLTSIG blog, where she is the current editor.

Huma Hasna Riaz Ahmed is a certified teacher, teacher mentor, materials writer, e-moderator and examiner from India, who has donned many hats for the British Council for over 14 years. She has worked in India, England and now the UAE. Providing students with an authentic learning experience and a sense of progress is the main focus of Huma's lessons.

Andrea Collados is an English teacher in Argentina who has also taught in the USA, Andorra, China, Japan, Sudan and Germany. This helped her develop a more global and multicultural perspective of teaching. She has been awarded the English Teacher Empowerment Scholarship by Bridge Education Group.

Chathuska Undugoda has taught with the British Council since 2014 and has taught various levels, age groups and language courses online and face-to-face. Her research for a master's degree at Coventry University, UK, was based on 'Inclusive practices in ESOL classrooms with refugee and migrant students.'

Guilherme Meira is a language teacher and pedagogical coordinator in Brazil. He holds a CPE and a specialisation in bilingual education. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in applied linguistics (UFRGS). He is mainly interested in teachers' assessment literacy to improve teaching and learning.

Which ideas from the webinars will you try in your classes? Tell us in the comments below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Valuing multilingualismHere you will find videos of two webinars and a panel discussion from specialists in multilingual approaches. All sessions explore how you can use your learners' home languages, also referred to as L1s, as a valuable resource to help them learn.

# data[].attributes.body
Non native speakers tend to use L1 more than native speakers. (podcast, spotify)

# data[].attributes.headline
Rethinking multilingualism and the use of the L1 in English as a medium of instruction

# data[].attributes.subject
Rethinking multilingualism and the use of the L1 in English as a medium of instruction

# data[].attributes.body
Webinar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About the webinar

In recent years, the 'multilingual turn' has risen to challenge preconceived ideas that L2 learning can only happen through the exclusive use of English. This webinar will provide a background to the predominance of second language acquisition theories in EMI classrooms and question monolingual practices based on a hierarchical perspective of languages. It will look at the concept of 'translanguaging' as the hallmark of bilingual speakers and explore pedagogical and spontaneous uses in the EMI/CLIL classroom. Participants will consider their beliefs and attitudes with regard to using the L1 in teaching and learning content and language and go away with some ideas and activities to try out in their teaching contexts.
Recorded on 12 December 2022
About the speaker

Nelson Arditto is a teacher and teacher educator based in Spain. He has worked as Course Director and tutor on Trinity teacher training courses (CertTESOL, DipTESOL, TYLEC) and is an assessor for the CertPT qualification. He has e-moderated online teacher development courses for the British Council since 2012 and is a consultant for the Norwich Institute for Language Education. He holds a DELTA, MA in TESOL and is currently an EdD student at Bath University. His special interests include EMI, learning technologies and e-learning.
Watch a recording of the webinar below

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rethinking multilingualism and the use of the L1 in English as a medium of instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
About the webinar In recent years, the 'multilingual turn' has risen to challenge preconceived ideas that L2 learning can only happen through the exclusive use of English. This webinar will provide a background to the predominance of second language acquisition theories in EMI classrooms and question monolingual practices based on a hierarchical perspective of languages.

# data[].attributes.body
infographic