A teacher recently asked the following question, one that resonates in many schools serving multilingual learners.
How much is too much L1 use? I have had administrators express that using the first language alienates other students and reduces rigor. It is frowned upon to support struggling students in their native language. How can I explain the benefits of L1 use in line with SIOP’s Feature 19? Thank you!!
It should go without saying (but obviously needs to be said time and again) that learning English is an instructional priority for multilingual learners, even in dual language programs. However, the issues reflected in this teacher’s question reveal significant misconceptions about learning and language. Maybe because for the past 40+ years I’ve worked to help educators understand and teach multilingual learners effectively, I’m somewhat dismayed that these misunderstandings persist.
For clarity, let me begin by explaining what is meant by “SIOP’s Feature 19,” then I’ll unpack the rest of the question. The SIOP Model is a framework for lesson planning and delivery. It is comprised of 8 components and 30 features of instruction that when implemented consistently has been shown to improve English learners’ English language development and academic performance. Specifically, Feature 19 addresses use of L1, or the student’s first language.
Okay, on to the rest of the question.
“How much is too much L1?” This is not about choosing between English and students’ home languages, but about using every resource available to make learning both accessible and meaningful. When students use a combination of languages to communicate, called translanguaging, they are tapping into their linguistic resources. In English-medium classes, multilingual learners clarify and discuss key concepts in their home language as needed. It is a matter of effective instruction.
Translanguaging serves as a bridge that allows students to access complex concepts in their L1, helping them build background knowledge, connect new information to prior learning, and participate more fully in rigorous content. It’s a scaffold that accelerates learning and prevents the frustration or misunderstanding that may occur while they are learning English.
“Using the first language alienates other students and reduces rigor.” It is important to note that all students, including monolingual English speakers, receive scaffolds such as graphic organizers, sentence frames, peer interaction, visuals, and the like. Similarly, multilingual learners may use their L1 to bridge understanding. It is the teacher’s responsibility to help the other students understand that translanguaging is another type of scaffold. In this way, the teacher models respect for students’ backgrounds and creates a classroom environment where students learn to appreciate linguistic diversity.
How might this look in practice? Let’s say that the class is asked to report on a topic. Students might gather information in their own language or use a combination of English and L1 resources. Then, in a group of four (two English-only students and two speakers of the same home language) students share with one another in English the information they’ve learned. Next, working in pairs, they take the information they’ve discussed and write a paper. The two bilingual students may work together to write a first draft using a combination of English and their L1 while the English speakers collaborate on their papers. The foursome comes back together to read their draft papers, clarify information, offer suggestions, rework the content, and produce a final paper in English.
Rather than being alienating, these practices ensure all students have equitable access to grade-level content and in the process foster linguistic, cognitive, academic, and social development.
Clarifying and discussing key concepts in L1 ensures that instruction remains rigorous for multilingual learners. It means they don’t fall behind in content while developing English proficiency. It’s not lowering the bar; it’s making sure everyone has the tools to reach it.
Remember, multilingual learners are not just learning English. They are learning rigorous academic content in a new language. When we honor their home languages, we acknowledge and build upon the cognitive and linguistic strengths they bring. Allowing strategic use of the first language should not alienate peers, and it doesn’t water down instruction. On the contrary, it affirms students’ identities, strengthens comprehension, and leads to higher levels of academic engagement and rigor.
What does “too much” look like? If students from the same language group use their L1 in place of English most of the time, with little opportunity to practice and develop academic English, then we are not meeting our responsibility to foster English proficiency. English proficiency is the strongest predictor of academic success, so we need to make sure students have lots of opportunities to use and practice English. However, when L1 is used judiciously—to clarify, to support, to include, and to scaffold— we create a more effective classroom.
How can we explain this to administrators? One might summarize the information above by saying something like:
“We provide instruction in English, but we use students’ first languages to ensure access to rigorous content and to support language development for all. Home language use is not a sign of lower expectations. It is a research-based strategy for accelerating both language and content learning for multilingual learners. As educators, our goal is for all students to thrive—not only to acquire English, but to achieve academically and feel a sense of belonging.”