Why Home Languages Matter

Hello in Different Languages

English Learners are one of the fastest growing student population groups. In the Fall of 2021, English Learners made of 31,681 or 6.6% of the total K-12 public school population in Iowa. In addition, there are English Learners currently being served in urban, suburban, and rural schools in all 99 counties of Iowa.

With increasing numbers of English Learners also comes increasing numbers of languages spoken. In Iowa, there are currently about 140 different language spoken in the homes of English Learners!

How do we ensure that English Learners, and by extension their families, feel welcome? One way is to affirm their linguistic identities by welcoming their home languages into schools and communities.

This SMORE aims to highlight reasons why home language development is important, various student and family perspectives of home languages, the benefits of bilingualism/multilingualism, sample tips for welcoming multiple languages into schools and classrooms, and free resources in multiple languages. It also shines a spotlight on an Ames Community School District interpreter/translator who models the benefits of being multilingual in a global society.

Iowa Department of Education. (2017). Legislative report: English language learners.

Iowa Department of Education. (2021). 2021-22 Iowa public school K-12 English Learners (EL) by District and Grade. Education Statistics.

This section has two videos that capture students and families perspectives on the importance of home languages. The first is from the perspective of older students, and the second is from the perspective of younger students and their families.

Video 1 - "I Can't Speak My Mother Tongue" [4:32] is a song that reveals second generation immigrants’ different perspectives about learning their mother tongue. It is performed by Andrew and David Fung and Doughboy and takes place in the streets of New York. As you watch, consider how home language proficiency impacts student identity and how important it is for multilingual learners to maintain their home languages while learning English.

Fung Brothers. (2016, August 4). I can't speak my mother tongue [Video].

YouTube. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6IuZyPv0mO0&feature=emb_logo

In Video 2 - "Importance of Students' Home Languages" [3:58], students, families, and educators in the Peel Schools of Ontario, Canada share their perspectives of home languages as rich resources for learning. Multilingual students and their parents explain how home languages allow them to connect with family members and friends. In addition, educators discuss various strategies for supporting homes languages in the classroom.

Peel Schools. (2017, November 8.). Importance of students' home languages [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1J-ftbFaMc

As you explore the two articles and infographic in this section, consider the following questions:

• What benefits exist for bilingual or multilingual brains?
• What can you do to help your students better understand the benefits of bilingualism?
• What can you do to help the parents and guardians of your students better understand the benefits of bilingualism?

Benegas, M. & Stolpestad, A. (2020). Teacher leadership for school-wide English learning. TESOL Press.

Article 1- "10 Amazing Benefits of Being Bilingual" explores 10 cultural, social, and cognitive benefits of being bilingual (or multilingual). Click this link to access the article.

Bilingual Kidspot.(2017, May 23). 10 amazing benefits of being bilingual. https://bilingualkidspot.com/2017/05/23/benefits-of-being-bilingual/

Article 2 - "Bilingualism: What Happens in the Brain?" helps to dispel myths about bilingualism and multilingualism and shares many cognitive benefits of knowing more than one language . Click this link. to access the article.

Hewings-Martin, Y. (2017, October 4). Bilingualism: What happens in the brain? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319642

Photo created using Canva.com, CC0.

Infographic - "Benefits of Multilingualism": The Office of English Language Acquisition(OELA) developed an infographic that celebrates language and emphasizes the cognitive, educational, economic, and sociocultural benefits of learning multiple languages. Click on this link to access the infographic.

OELA. (2020). Benefits of multilingualism (Infographic). U.S. Department of Education. https://ncela.ed.gov/files/announcements/20200805-NCELAInfographic-508.pdf

Teachers might be wondering how they can incorporate multiple languages into the classroom when students speak so many different languages and they do not know all of them. The City University of New York for the New York State Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals (CUNY-NYSIEB) attempted to answer this question through a series of "Teaching Bilinguals (Even if You're Not One") videos and a guidebook. This section features two videos from this project.

CUNY-NYSIEB. (2017, April 18). Teaching bilinguals (even if you're not one): Being an advocate for bilingual students [Video]. You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzc3hz8sDJU

Video 1 - “Teaching Bilinguals (Even If You're Not One): Being an Advocate for Bilingual Students" video [5:24] features Jennifer Conte, an English as a New Language Teacher, and Elizabeth Condon-Kim, a 5th grade teacher from Bedford Hills Elementary School. They share tips for welcoming home languages into the classroom as well as advocating for bilingual students including:

• Setting a culture that acknowledges students' language identities and strengths
• Discussing multicultural literature to build empathy across differences
• Becoming co-learners when not having all the answers

For more information, see pp. 13-19 of the A CUNY-NYSIEB Translanguaging Guide for Educators for creating a classroom that celebrates home languages.

CUNY NYSIEB. (2017, April 18). Teaching bilinguals (even if you're not one): Bilingual superpowers [Video]. You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP7NILgtVa8&t=5s

In Video 2 - “Teaching Bilinguals (Even If You're Not One): Bilingual Superpowers" [4:46], Elyn Ballantyne, an English as a New Language teacher in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York shares tips for how she welcomed home languages of her elementary and middle school students when creating autobiographical graphic novels. Her tips include:

• Drawing on culturally relevant mentor texts
• Encouraging English for language already taught and home language for deeper thinking
• Opening up space for students to process ideas in whatever language comes naturally

For more information, see pp. 97-104 of the the A CUNY-NYSIEB Translanguaging Guide for Educators to help plan a project-based unit that incorporates home languages.

Check out a recently-developed document that was created by Susan Schrader, Heartland AEA Director of Resources and Library Services, specifically for educators of multilingual learners: English Language Learners and Heartland AEA Digital Content.

The document includes resources in multiple languages available for educators to use in instruction. The materials in this document are also posted on the English Learner section of the Heartland AEA Website at this link.

Jingtao Wang has been a translator/interpreter for the Ames Community School District since 2010 and models the benefits of being multilingual in a global society. In her role, she is able to use her knowledge of multiple languages (Chinese, Japanese, and English) to support students and families in their preferred languages.

In addition, Jingtao is a lifelong learner and has continued to hone her skills through interpreter professional learning opportunities offered through Heartland AEA. Furthermore, as a parent of Ames High School sons, she knows firsthand the benefits of receiving information in a language most easily understood. Jingtao also serves as the Principal of the Ames Chinese Language Academy, which teaches the Chinese language to children ages 5-14 and bings traditional cultural outreach to residents. Click on this link or the button above Jingtao's photo to read more about her story.

2019-2020 School Year

• Multicultural Texts Dec/Jan 19-20

• Assessment and English Learners Feb/March 19-20

• The Finish Line April/May 19-20

2020-2021 School Year

• Equity and Language Sept/Oct 2020

• SEL with Students Learning English Nov/Dec 2020
• Future Ready EL & DACA Students Jan/Feb 2021
• Designing Your LIEP (ESL Program) April/May 2021

2021-2022 School Year

• Newcomer Needs October/November 2021
• Winter Celebrations December 2021/January 2022