One Simple Shift
Making Content More Accessible for Multilingual Learners
If you’re a content teacher, I know your plate is already full. The last thing you need is one more program or another strategy that takes an hour to prep.
So here’s one simple practice that boosts access, engagement, and confidence for Multilingual Learners — without adding more to your workload:
The “Language Lift”
Add one small language support to a task you’re already doing.
Not a new lesson. Not an extra activity.
Just a lift. An easy-to-add scaffold that unlocks language and content.
Why it works:
Multilingual Learners often know the content, but can’t yet express it in English at the level required. One language scaffold gives them a bridge to show what they know.
Why This Matters
A small language scaffold helps MLs:
Access the content more independently
Use academic language more authentically
Build confidence to take risks when speaking or writing in English
Research consistently shows that content learning improves when language is explicitly supported (Coles-Ritchie, Echevarría, Vogt & Short; Gibbons) even in mainstream classrooms with diverse learners.
A Mindset Shift for Teachers
This isn’t about making your lesson “easier.”
It’s about making your lesson reachable.
When we scaffold for language, we don’t lower the bar — we clear the path.
Imagine if every content teacher added just one Language Lift each day.
Five minutes for us. A game changer for our Multilingual Learners.
Try This Tomorrow
Choose ONE for your next lesson:
Sentence starter: One pattern I notice is…
Word bank: include 6 key terms with visuals
Language role: assign a roles (check out the short video here) in group work
Model: show one strong sample for students to reference
What language scaffolding lift has worked for you?
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