Focusing on Multilingualism with TAS Families

During the first week of September, KA-8 Multilingual Learner (MLL) Coordinator, Virginia Blais, delivered a series of workshops to Lower and Middle School parents and guardians titled "Multilingualism in School." The goal was to lead families to a deeper understanding of the educational philosophy behind multilingualism, how it guides instruction at TAS and its impact on all areas of student development. In line with our mission and schoolwide learning outcomes to develop collaborative communicators, Ms. Blais concluded that all teachers at TAS are language teachers. 

At TAS, we define multilingual learners as "children consistently exposed to multiple languages." Ms. Blais explained that since 85% of TAS students speak a language other than English at home, they are multilingual when they first arrive at the school. Moreover, once those who speak English at home begin learning Mandarin at TAS, the number of multilingual learners increases to 100%.  

Ms. Blais demonstrated how multilingualism extends beyond learning new languages; it involves understanding cultural and linguistic identity, personality, and learning styles. She introduced the idea of translanguaging, as a shift towards thinking of all a students’ languages working together as a system to learn. She demonstrated what multilingualism looks and sounds like in the classroom, and how translanguaging enhances comprehension and engagement.  

“As we're developing language,” Ms. Blais said, “we're developing who we are. It is integral in shaping our identity. If you imagine words as bricks and grammar as the mortar that holds them together to build complete sentences," she continued, "you can see that building language skills as an ongoing process that requires a strong foundation and continuous reinforcement.”  

During the presentation, Ms. Blais introduced the TAS Multilingual Learning Specialists. These dedicated specialists are tasked with helping families navigate their children’s multilingual education and ensure their learning is a positive and enriching experience. To promote multilingual language progress at home, Ms. Blais encouraged families to read, discuss daily classroom events, and celebrate their language achievements. She also assured families that doing this in home languages is very important. She reminded parents that multilingual learners' brains may become fatigued and stressed the importance of providing ample opportunities for rest.

Ms. Blais explained that reinforcing home languages while learning additional languages, known as additive multilingualism, is a goal for our students. Additional languages are built on the foundation of home languages, so maintaining and strengthening home languages is crucial for success and the development of additional languages. 

The events included interactive activities to give the audience more awareness and firsthand experience of the multilingual environment surrounding them. Parents and guardians worked in pairs and groups to match definitions with types of multilingualism, drew pictures to map their family’s home language identity, and shared the multilingual landscape their children experience. 

Integrating this multilingual perspective into every lesson not only aligns with the TAS mission and values, but it also teaches us to appreciate and value each learner's unique language foundation, personality, motivation, learning style, and preferences to enhance their global perspective. Through the convergence of language, culture and identity we continue to mold students into globally minded citizens who make the world a better place.