Embracing home languages in class: A story of strength and growth (and hesitation)

Dr. Khanh Linh Tran-Dang, Monash University

The power of multilingualism in education is undeniable. However, while many schools celebrate the rich linguistic diversity that students bring, the reality is that embracing home languages in the classroom is still a challenge. For Rose, a secondary EAL (English as an Additional Language) student from a regional Victorian school, speaking Vietnamese in class was both exciting and intimidating.

“I feel happy but shy when I speak Vietnamese in the classroom because others look at me,” she admitted to me in Vietnamese. And beyond her own feelings, there was another concern—her father’s disapproval.

“When I told him I wouldn’t be attending the regular English class with my friends but instead joining one where I could use both English and Vietnamese, he wasn’t happy. He wanted me to attend the English-only class with my peers.”

This hesitation is not uncommon. Many students and their families fear that using their home language at school might label them as ‘less capable.’ This perspective, deeply rooted in a monolingual orientation to education, can discourage students from fully engaging with their linguistic abilities and, ultimately, their learning.

(Image generated by ChatGPT)

Shifting the focus

The label 'EAL' for students from a language background other than English (LBOTE) highlights what students need to do well (English) rather than what they bring. A strength-based approach—such as the one championed by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) (DET, 2016) —recognizes students’ abilities, knowledge, and potential. It shifts the focus from gaps to growth, from barriers to opportunities. The way that this is now being acknowledged more fully in the literature is through the term ‘multilingual learner’ rather than EAL or English language learner (Tran-Dang et al., forthcoming).

For EAL students, transitioning to a new learning environment isn’t just about ‘mastering’ English; it’s about leveraging their entire linguistic repertoire to succeed. This means that we need to consider how every student has unique strengths, progresses at their own pace, and benefits from a tailored approach to learning.

Rose, the student in the story above, arrived in Australia from a monolingual (Vietnamese) background and faced initial resistance from her father about using Vietnamese in school. But despite this, she found confidence in a class that validated her knowledge of Vietnamese:

“I find using both languages easier for me. I learn better. It helps me understand the lessons more clearly… I still prefer this class because it gave me confidence. The other [English-only class] was too hard for me.”

Leveraging home languages

Recognizing an EAL student’s home language can also make visible students’ language and literacy knowledge and how this can be used to improve their English. In one formative assessment conducted and marked online by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the students were given 30 minutes to write a persuasive essay in their choice of language(s).

While many students wrote directly in English, Rose and two other Vietnamese students opted to draft their essays in Vietnamese first and then translate them into English. The results were striking—two of the translated essays were over 800 words long (compared to an average of 80 words from their peers) and received top scores of Bands 8-9, which demonstrated a clear ability to produce a well-written essay in Vietnamese. Rose’s essay, while still developing at Band 5, was significantly more detailed and structured than it would have been if she had written in English alone, thus showing her teacher what she already knew about writing a persuasive essay.

This exercise demonstrated something crucial: these students’ prior knowledge and literacy skills in Vietnamese weren’t barriers to learning English; they were strengths that, when embraced, could facilitate deeper understanding and expression.

Creating a safe and supportive environment

The key takeaway? A classroom that normalizes multilingualism can empower students. When students feel safe to use their home languages, they engage more deeply, build confidence, and perform better academically. For teachers, recognizing these linguistic strengths provides a clearer picture of students’ capabilities and informs better teaching strategies.

By shifting towards an approach that values all languages, we can help students like Rose—and countless others—unlock their full potential.

References

Department of Education and Training. (2016). Victorian early years learning and development framework. State of Victoria. https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-early-years-learning-development-framework-veyldf

Tran-Dang, K. L., Minh, H. N., Turner, M., & Dang, K. A. (forthcoming). From EAL students to multilingual learners: Privileging existing language knowledge at school, in M. Turner & B. Green (Eds), Multilingualism as Opportunity: An Integrated Perspective on English and Languages Education in Australia. Routledge.

Further Resources

The Plurilingual Resource Map