Who Are Multilingual Learners?

Multilingual learners in adult education classes may:

Be highly educated in their home country, or they may have limited/no formal education.
Have strong literacy skills in their first language (or not).
Be newcomers, long-term U.S. residents, refugees, asylum seekers, or undocumented.
Be learning English while also navigating trauma, parenting, work, housing instability, etc.

❗ Important Note: Not all adult ELLs are in ESL classes. Many enroll directly in ABE, HSE, or workforce programs to meet urgent goals.

Language Development Basics

It is helpful to keep these points in mind when you first start working with multilingual learners.

Timeline: Basic communication can develop in 1–2 years; academic language can take 5–7+ years.

Understanding vs. Production: Learners often understand more than they can produce. Avoid assuming comprehension equals proficiency.

Silent Period: Learners may take time before speaking, especially in new or demanding contexts.

Uneven Development: Language skills (reading/writing/speaking/listening) do not develop evenly.

Strengths and Assets

Multilingual learners bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, skills, talent and expertise into any learning environment, including:

Resilience and problem-solving skills
Deep motivation to succeed and support family
Cultural and global knowledge
Prior work or educational experience that can transfer with the right supports

Also, multilingualism itself is a cognitive and social asset. It supports problem-solving, adaptability and communication skills, helping learners foster deeper cross-cultural understanding.

Common Barriers

Multilingual learners do often face certain challenges in their educational journeys. Some of the more common ones include:

Linguistic: Limited vocabulary, unfamiliar grammatical structures, cultural references

Instructional: Overreliance on text, lack of visuals/supports, fast pace

Social/Emotional: Classroom trauma, fear of embarrassment, lack of confidence

Systemic: Limited access to tech, childcare, transportation, or supportive policies

💭 Food for Thought

Take a moment to reflect on these questions:

Have you ever made assumptions about a learner's ability based on how fluent they sounded? What might be missed with that lens?
What parts of your current instruction or materials might be challenging for a learner with limited English proficiency?

Self-Reflection Exercise

Imagine you are a new immigrant in a country where you don't speak the dominant language, and you've just enrolled in a math or digital skills class there.

Think about the following:

What would help you feel welcome and safe in that classroom?
What might frustrate or overwhelm you?
What kind of teaching strategies or behaviors from the instructor would make a difference?
What assumptions might people make about you based on your limited language skills?