Language Acquisition Programs

𝐈𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬, 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐎 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐲. After spending time with the 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 2025: 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, one thing becomes unmistakably clear: this is not a report for language specialists alone. It is a report about how education systems quietly succeed or collapse. The report makes a simple but unsettling point. Nearly half of India’s children enter school in a language they do not speak at home. This is a significant pedagogic problem. It shapes comprehension, confidence, participation, retention, and dignity from the very first year of schooling. When children cannot think in the language of instruction, schooling becomes an act of endurance rather than learning. What makes this report critical is that it refuses to treat language as a technical choice of medium. Language here is shown as cognition, identity, social power, and justice. It draws together evidence from ASER, UDISE+, NCERT assessments, and deep field-based case studies from tribal, rural, and multilingual classrooms to show how early language mismatch produces long-term learning inequality. For anyone working in education, regardless of role, this report matters. If you are a teacher, it explains why classroom participation, silence, or “low ability” often have little to do with intelligence and everything to do with language distance. If you work in teacher education, it exposes how poorly prepared our systems are for multilingual classrooms, despite policy rhetoric. If you design curriculum or assessments, it shows how monolingual assumptions distort learning measurement and progression. If you work in EdTech or digital learning, it offers a sobering reminder that technology without linguistic inclusion simply scales exclusion. If you are a policymaker, administrator, or funder, it makes clear that multilingual education is not a cultural add-on but a structural requirement for foundational learning, equity, and retention. The report is especially strong on tribal and Indigenous education. It documents how mother-tongue-based multilingual education, when done with continuity and seriousness, improves learning outcomes, strengthens community trust, and keeps children in school. Odisha’s long-running MTB-MLE programme and examples from the North East show that this is not theoretical. It is workable, if systems choose to invest. Perhaps most importantly, the report asks uncomfortable questions about governance, financing, teacher deployment, institutional coordination, and political will. #MultilingualEducation #MotherTongueMatters #FoundationalLearning #EducationalEquity #TeacherEducation #LanguageAndLearning #UNESCO #NEP2020 #EducationPolicy

I’ve been reflecting on the proposed FY27 federal budget and what it signals for language education. This recent analysis from the Language Policy Institute outlines a continued reduction in support for language education priorities at the federal level. At a high level, it reflects a pattern of reduced investment in programs that support multilingual learners, bilingual education, and educator pipelines. This is not just about budget lines. It is about system capacity. Denver Public Schools, like many districts across the country is serving growing numbers of multilingual and newcomer students. At the same time, the supports that have historically helped us meet those needs are being reduced or consolidated in ways that weaken their impact. We have all heard it before, “that is what we have always done.” That approach does not hold when student needs are changing as quickly as they are now. I have had the opportunity to visit schools in Singapore, Finland, Shanghai, Switzerland, and South Korea, systems that consistently perform at high levels, battling for OECD - OCDE's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) top spots. One consistent takeaway is a clear and intentional focus on language and cultural competence. In each of these places, students spoke with me in English, while also being fully proficient in their native language and often learning a third. That did not happen by chance. It reflects deliberate design and sustained investment. Re: PISA, we sit comfortably in the middle of the pack. Why? Several reasons but I can say one is that we have not approached language in the same way. There is not a single solution to improving outcomes at scale, but language is a significant lever we have not fully developed. We know bilingualism supports academic growth and long-term opportunity. We also know that when federal support decreases, the responsibility shifts to local systems already managing competing priorities. So the question becomes practical. How do we continue to build systems that meet the needs of multilingual learners, even as resources become less targeted? That is where the real work is. And we know that when federal support recedes, the burden shifts to local systems already navigating complex fiscal realities. So the question for all of us in education leadership is this: Will we absorb these changes quietly, or will we advocate for what our students actually need to thrive? Because this moment is not just about budgets. It’s about whether we are willing to align our resources with our values. https://lnkd.in/gUVNh2kV

"I speak to my child in Spanish - why do they always answer in English?" Beneath this question is another, quieter one - filled with confusion and hurt: Is my child rejecting my language? Rejecting me? Here's what the research actually shows: It's not defiance. It's efficiency. When children respond in the "wrong" language, they're not being stubborn. They're being smart. Three things are usually happening: 1. They're reading the room Children are incredibly attuned to social context. If the majority language is what everyone around them speaks - at school, at the playground, in shops - it becomes their default. Even at home. Even with you. 2. They know you'll understand anyway If you switch between languages effortlessly - so can they. Your child knows communication will succeed regardless of which language they choose. So they pick the easier path. Why wouldn't they? 3. They don't NEED the minority language Need drives use. If your child can get everything they want - snacks, screen time, your attention - using only the majority language, the minority language becomes optional. And optional is fragile, it doesn't last. So what actually works? Not correction. Not frustration. Not guilt. What works is changing what your child needs to do to communicate: - Keep responding in your language - naturally, warmly, without pressure - Create contexts where the minority language is necessary: video calls with grandparents who don't speak English, playdates with other speakers, community events where your language is the default - Surround them with other children who speak it - peer motivation is powerful in ways adult conversation isn't Your child isn't rejecting your language. They're adapting to an environment that doesn't require it. The good news? Environments can be reshaped, one little choice at a time.

When a university closes a language department, it sends a clear message that understanding other cultures isn’t a priority. That seeing the world from someone else’s perspective doesn’t matter. That speaking only one language is enough in a world that’s anything but monolingual. But the reality is that language education is not a luxury reserved for a select few. It’s one of the most practical, forward-thinking investments an institution can make. Students who study languages don’t just learn how to communicate - they learn how to notice. They pick up on nuance. They become attuned to different ways of thinking, problem-solving, negotiating and building relationships. In today’s workplaces - whether in business, diplomacy, science, health or the arts, that kind of cultural awareness is a serious advantage. And yet, year after year, we watch language departments shrink or disappear entirely. The justification is usually financial. But the cost of losing these programs goes far beyond budgets and spreadsheets. When you cut a language department, you limit what students are exposed to. You narrow their world. You make it harder for them to connect with the communities they’ll serve. You reduce their ability to collaborate internationally, to operate with empathy, to work in multilingual teams, or to genuinely understand the forces shaping global events. You also send a message to students from multilingual or heritage backgrounds that their languages - and by extension, their identities and cultures - are not worth valuing or studying. The impact goes further than that. Fewer students studying languages means fewer future teachers, fewer translators, fewer culturally competent professionals in multiple sectors. It’s a slow erosion of connection and understanding at a time when we need both more than ever. We say we want graduates who are adaptable, open-minded and globally aware. But if we don’t support the programs that help build those qualities, those are just words. Keeping language departments open isn’t about convention - it’s about relevance. It’s about equipping people to live and work in a world that is interconnected, multilingual and diverse. Let’s stop treating languages like an optional extra. They’re a core part of the future we all need to invest in and benefit from, and they elevate every field of human interaction.

🌍 Ways to Support Multilingual Learners in the Classroom Supporting multilingual learners means creating learning spaces where every child feels confident, understood, and encouraged to participate. When we intentionally design our teaching strategies, we give students the opportunity to be seen, heard, and valued in the classroom. Here are some effective ways to support multilingual learners: 📚 1. Mentor Texts Use simple, engaging texts as examples to help students understand how language and writing work. Seeing models helps multilingual learners learn sentence structure, vocabulary, and storytelling. ✏️ 2. Using the Structure of Writing Workshop A clear and predictable structure helps students feel secure. Mini-lessons, guided practice, and independent writing time allow multilingual learners to learn step by step. 🗣️ 3. Consistent Teaching Language Using consistent instructions and classroom phrases helps students recognize patterns in language and understand expectations more easily. 👀 4. Visuals and Gestures Pictures, demonstrations, body language, and gestures support understanding even when language skills are still developing. 💬 5. Language Prompts Providing sentence starters or prompts helps students participate in discussions and express their ideas with more confidence. 👫 6. Supportive Partnerships Pairing students with supportive peers encourages communication, collaboration, and social language development. 📝 7. Shared Writing Writing together as a class allows students to see how ideas are organized and expressed in written form. 📖 8. Vocabulary Building Explicitly teaching key vocabulary and revisiting words often helps multilingual learners build strong language foundations. When educators intentionally support multilingual learners, we create inclusive classrooms where language diversity becomes a strength and every child has the opportunity to succeed. 🌱 #MultilingualLearners #InclusiveEducation #EarlyChildhoodEducation #LanguageDevelopment #TeachingStrategies

Parents are the first language teachers—so how can we support them in raising bilingual kids? As both a teacher and a parent, I’ve learned that bilingual education doesn’t start in the classroom—it starts at home. Parents play a crucial role in shaping how children engage with multiple languages, and the strategies used at home can make all the difference in maintaining balance between them. In our home, we follow the One Parent, One Language (OPOL) method, ensuring that our child receives equal exposure to both English and French. It’s a structured approach that has helped her develop fluency in both languages without favoring one over the other. In fact, she was an early talker and has maintained an advanced vocabulary in both languages! However, I know from experience that raising a bilingual child comes with challenges: ✅ Finding engaging resources – Not all books, apps, and learning tools are available in both languages, making it harder to reinforce learning equally. ✅ Ensuring both languages are valued – If the school environment prioritizes one language, parents need to be intentional about maintaining the second language at home. ✅ Keeping language learning fun – When kids associate a language with “work,” they’re less likely to embrace it naturally. So how can parents support bilingual development? Here’s what’s worked for us: 📖 Daily exposure in both languages – Reading books, storytelling, and discussing daily activities in both languages keeps vocabulary growing. 🎭 Play-based learning – Role-play, board games, and creative activities help reinforce language use in an enjoyable way. 📝 Bilingual writing activities – Encouraging shopping lists, postcard writing, or even captioning drawings in both languages strengthens written fluency. 📱 Educational apps – We use tools like Reading Eggs and Math Seeds to make English learning fun while my child’s formal education takes place in French. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that bilingualism has to feel natural. When children see both languages as an integrated part of their world, rather than something they “have to” learn, they develop a deeper and more lasting connection to both. How do you encourage bilingualism at home? Whether as a parent or an educator, I’d love to hear the strategies that have worked for you!

I am very proud of this paper. Takiko Igarashi, Sandy Maulana, and I grappled with it for over two years, learning so much along the way. We gave it our best shot given the data limitations, and the results were rigorous enough to be published in Labour Economics. The findings are policy-relevant as many countries are considering multilingual education. We evaluate the impact of the multilingual education policy in the Philippines on foundational skills. We find that the policy reduced the mean linguistic distance between children's mother tongue and school language of instruction by between 43% to 76%. However, we find a statistically significant and negative effect on foundational reading skills. The magnitude is not negligible, given the Philippines’ flat learning profiles. We find the policy also negatively impacted the foundational mathematics skills of the first cohort fully exposed to the policy. Our findings imply that governments need to reconsider the mother tongue-based education policy as a tool to improve foundational skills in a diverse society. The full-text is open access at https://lnkd.in/gpFMKqSs

What drives a child to babble for months before speaking their first word? 🤔 Twenty years ago, this question led me (and amazing team) down a research path that would connect developmental psychology, robotics, and AI—and eventually impact thousands of classrooms. The answer: curiosity. But not any curiosity—a specific type where individuals generate their own goals & self-organize their learning curriculum. We call this "autotelic learning" (from Greek: auto=self, telos=goal). That’s a key for open-ended learning. 💡 One thing was very surprising: When we formalized the Learning Progress Hypothesis —the idea that brains are intrinsically motivated to explore activities where they're learning fastest—it started as pure theory. We first tested it on robots. Then, remarkably, psychology labs worldwide began confirming it with human experiments. The hypothesis held. cc Frederic Kaplan Jacqueline Gottlieb Alexandr Ten Francesco Poli Sabine Hunnius This matters because it reveals a fundamental algorithm that nature seems to have discovered for open-ended learning. Children don't need external rewards or carefully curated datasets. They monitor their own learning progress and use it as an internal compass for exploration. 🧩 A crucial piece was still missing though: beyond sampling goals, how do humans generate goals from the start? How do they imagine abstract, creative goals such as arbitrary games children invent? Drawing on ideas from Vygotsky, we realized that language isn't just for communication—children internalize it as a cognitive tool for imagination and planning. Just as a child combines "cat" and "bus" to imagine a "cat-bus" they've never seen (hi Totoro! 🐱🚌), language enables creative goal generation. We used this insight in several AI model where agents learn language through social interaction, then reuse it to self-generate novel goals and assess their own progress—mirroring how children develop abstract thinking. cc Cédric Colas Clément Moulin-Frier 🤖 Why this matters for AI: Can we build machines that set their own goals in vast, open worlds and self-organize their own learning—like children do? We have shown it's possible in recent work of the team on autotelic generative AI agents & robots, solving problems previously unsolvable by RL. cc Sébastien Forestier Clément ROMAC Thomas CARTA Loris Gaven Julien Pourcel 🎓 Why this matters for education: We've also translated these insights into AI algorithms that personalize learning sequences in educational technology—now deployed in 50,000+ French classrooms through our collaboration with EvidenceB. We're also designing tools that train children to ask curious questions. cc Rania Abdelghani Hélène Sauzéon Chloé Desvaux Benjamin C. Didier ROY In the talk linked below, I walk through this 20-year journey with incredible colleagues also including Olivier Sigaud Peter Ford Dominey Jérémy Perez Verena Hafner Cécile Mazon Grgur Kovač Gaia Molinaro and so many others! 🙏

Every time I meet Grade 1 and 2 teachers, the concerns remain the same. Different schools. Different teachers. Same concern. But here’s the truth: This problem isn’t new — and yet, we’re still not solving it. We’re expecting children to write full sentences without first helping them read. We want them to read, without letting them speak. We ask them to speak, but haven’t built the habit of listening. We’ve forgotten the simplest sequence: Listening → Speaking → Reading → Writing (LSRW). Instead, we jump straight to writing. Neat handwriting. Long sentences. All while the child is still trying to make sense of sounds and words. Language isn’t a worksheet. It’s a rhythm. A dance. A conversation. And the early years need more than just paper and pencil. They need movement. They need music. They need stories, actions, sounds, and joy. So here’s what we can do: 🟡 Begin with Listening: Daily songs, rhymes, and playful instructions — even 5 minutes a day makes a difference. 🟠 Encourage Speaking: Circle time. Show and tell. Role-play. Let them express freely, without fear of “mistakes.” 🟢 Build Reading Readiness: Picture reading, storybooks, and sound games. Don’t rush to letters—build a love for language first. 🔵 Introduce Writing last: Start with drawing. Letter tracing in sand. Air writing. Writing begins with confidence, not just a pencil. 🔴 Use TPR (Total Physical Response): Teach language with movement: “Jump when I say jump.” “Touch your nose.” “Clap twice.” It’s magical for retention. The solutions are with us. They always have been. We just need to pause, reflect, and realign. Let’s teach the way children learn. Let’s bring joy back into language learning. #FoundationalLiteracy #HappyClassrooms #LSRW #NIPUNBharat #EarlyYearsEducation #TeacherReflections #LanguageLearning #JoyfulLearning #TPR #FLN #LetChildrenBeChildren #TeachingTips

Language Learning vs. Language Acquisition — Are we balancing both in our classrooms? Language is at the heart of all learning—it shapes thinking, communication, and connection. As educators, we know that language learning is essential for building structure, accuracy, and academic success. But equally important is language acquisition, the natural, intuitive process through which students begin to truly use language. These two are closely connected—yet fundamentally different. Language Learning vs. Language Acquisition — Are we balancing both in our classrooms? As educators, we often focus heavily on teaching language—but how much space are we creating for students to acquire it naturally? 🔹 Language Acquisition • Happens subconsciously • Built through meaningful exposure and interaction • Develops implicit understanding • Thrives in informal, real-life contexts • Follows a natural progression 🔹 Language Learning • Requires conscious effort • Focuses on rules, structure, and accuracy • Builds explicit knowledge • Occurs in formal settings • Moves from simple to complex concepts 💡 The key insight: Students don’t become confident communicators through instruction alone. They need rich opportunities to experience language. ✨ What does this look like in real classrooms? 🔸 Acquisition in action: • A child picks up phrases like “Can I play?” or “I need help” simply by interacting with peers during recess • Students learn new vocabulary while participating in a science experiment or cooking activity • A multilingual learner starts understanding instructions by observing routines and listening daily—without direct teaching 🔸 Learning in action: • Teaching grammar rules like past tense (“walk” → “walked”) • Practicing sentence structure through worksheets • Explicit vocabulary lessons before reading a text ✨ Blending both effectively: • After teaching a grammar concept, encourage students to use it in a role-play or discussion • Design inquiry-based projects where language is used authentically (e.g., presenting findings, interviewing peers) • Use storytelling, debates, and collaborative tasks to turn “learning” into “living” language 🌱 When students learn the rules and also live the language, that’s when true communication begins. How do you create opportunities for both learning and acquisition in your classroom? #Education #LanguageAcquisition #LanguageLearning #TeachingStrategies #InquiryBasedLearning #ELL #BilingualEducation