Just Learned

International schools have come to host a special population of children who are experiencing difficulties with the academic component of English language learning. The vast majority of these students possess a second language, or are multilingual, and appear to be both misunderstood and misdiagnosed with confusion as to whether additional academic support should be in English language learning, or special education. As administrators and teachers grapple with this issue, we often question how this happens. Is it possible that the lack of mother tongue development in the critical early childhood years is the root of the problem?

A number of studies have demonstrated that young, non-native English learners develop their language, culture, identity and second language skills when the mother tongue is developed, supported, and enriched, and therefore can attain academic proficiency and achievement in the international environment’s target language as a result. However, not all English language learners (ELLs) are alike, and there is not a formulaic approach in reconstructing mother tongue maintenance to ensure the success of English literacy learning in international schools. This implies that we as educators need to recognize the culture of struggling multilingual students in international schools. The existence and educational needs of these students mandate educators and administrators to both understand and meet the individual and educational needs of these students in order to support language growth and academic success.