Could welcoming our learners’ other languages into the classroom be the key to greater inclusion and more effective learning? Teacher-researcher Huma Riaz explores how plurilingualism can create richer, more supportive English language learning experiences.
“No Arabic here, please.”
“Please don’t use Spanish.”
Sound familiar?
Walk into any English language classroom today, and chances are you will find more than just English being used - whispers in French, a few words in Hindi, perhaps some Chinese or Lingala. These moments are often seen as distractions or even barriers by teachers who may have been trained to view languages as distinct entities: English is English, and Hindi is Hindi - as if they are songs on the playlist; when one is on, the others are off.
But what if we stopped asking learners to leave their languages at the classroom door and instead invited them in?
What if, even without speaking our learners’ languages, we could still use them to scaffold English learning in practical, principled ways?
I grappled with these questions in my recent classroom research at the British Council in the United Arab Emirates, where nine different language backgrounds waited at the door. I found that using students’ languages strategically does not hinder English learning - it enhances it.
Why this research?
While plurilingualism has gained ground in educational policy and research, it hasn’t made the same impact in paid language centres or classrooms with adult learners. Much of the existing research focuses on public schools, bilingual programmes, or university contexts. But what about adult learners in English language centres, who may already be under pressure to 'speak only English'?
These adult learners, especially at lower proficiency levels, often come from migrant backgrounds, have different levels of formal education, and face very real challenges with confidence, access, and anxiety. A monolingual, 'English-only' approach, though well-intentioned, can be exclusionary.
That is why the shift I made in my perceptions, actions, and classroom practice was not just anecdotal or aspirational - it was backed by global research.
The British Council’s Future of English report (2023) calls for a fundamental rethinking of how languages are treated in classrooms:
“We should deliver a curriculum that supports the simultaneous use of multiple languages in the classroom to aid learning.”
One way to do this is through pedagogical translanguaging, which Cenoz & Gorter (2017) define as:
“Planned by the teacher inside the classroom and can refer to the use of different languages for input and output or to other planned strategies based on the use of students’ languages.”
This is not about chaotic code-switching or random translation. It is about tweaking our lessons slightly by activating learners’ languages in purposeful, structured ways.
The research: Context and data
Over three months, I worked with adult elementary learners aged between 17 and 55, who spoke nine different languages, including Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, French, Kurdish, Latvian, Persian, Russian, and Turkish. I observed student behaviour, conducted informal interviews, and gathered feedback through surveys and journals.
Key findings:
• 100% of learners used their home language in some way to support English learning.
• Over 80% said using their language helped them understand grammar and vocabulary more quickly.
• 75% said it boosted their confidence and participation.
• Peer scaffolding in shared languages emerged spontaneously and often led to deeper engagement with English tasks.
One of my most insightful findings came from observing how learners naturally negotiated meaning using shared languages. My Kurdish learners, for example, switched between Arabic and Persian to mediate and help each other complete tasks. One Azerbaijani student used Russian to clarify grammar points. Rather than being disruptive, these moments were rich with learning.
What the Broader Research Says
Let us start with the most surprising one: Macaro (2005) found no evidence that banning other languages actually improves English learning. Quite the opposite in fact. Alongside Mutton (2002), they also showed that a moderate and strategic use of learners’ own languages can support both communication and learning, without harming English proficiency in the slightest.
Hall & Cook (2013) remind us that bilingual and multilingual learners naturally draw on their full linguistic toolkit when solving problems or expressing ideas, especially when they're still finding their feet in English.
Liu & Zeng (2015) highlighted that learners value their home languages when grappling with grammar and cultural concepts. It helps them understand better. So why not lean into that?
Cummins (2007) and Swain & Lapkin (2000) also weighed in, showing that using home languages can support cognitive development and significantly reduce anxiety, which is a big deal, especially for emerging or hesitant learners.
Finally, De La Campa & Nassaji (2009) found that including students’ languages fosters a positive and inclusive classroom environment, where learners feel seen and supported.
Put simply, the research is clear: learners’ languages are not the problem - they are part of the solution.
But doesn’t this mean translating everything?
Absolutely not, and this is where many teachers hesitate.
A common myth is: “If I allow multiple languages, I will have to translate everything into ten different languages!”
In reality, plurilingual teaching does not mean you translate everything. You are not a translator - you are a facilitator. You create space for learners to use their languages to build bridges toward English.
And don’t I need to speak their language at all?
The short answer is no; you don’t have to.
Here is the good news: I do not speak my students’ languages either. And yet, this approach worked because learners had the freedom to engage with their languages to lift themselves and each other.
English remained the target language, of course - but it was no longer the only language ‘allowed’ in the room. The goal was always to increase meaningful interaction in English - not to dilute it. The strategic use of learners’ languages enriched both the quality and the quantity of the interaction in English.
Think of it like this: learners already carry their linguistic toolkit with them. Your job is not to replace them with English-only tools - it is to help learners use the tools they already have to build in English.
What I did (and what you can do too)
So, here are a few of the low-prep plurilingual strategies I used in my classroom:
- Translanguaging Tasks
Learners brainstormed ideas in their strongest language, took notes in their language, and then presented their work in English where necessary. They co-constructed summaries, offered peer feedback using their languages, and tackled creative tasks with ease.
- Contrastive Analysis
Students compared grammar structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation features across languages. For instance, in one activity, students examined the use of the present perfect in English and their own languages. Learners reported that this helped them notice the differences and correct themselves more confidently.
- Mediation with Bilingual Texts
Students explored bilingual resources such as songs and processed meaning in language-based groups, then collaboratively visually reconstructed content in English.
Small steps, big impact: What you can try
If you are still understandably hesitant to take the leap, here are a few ideas you can try even if you do not speak your students’ languages:
• Learn simple greetings in their languages to break the ice.
• Create a multilingual word wall where students contribute and refer to lesson vocabulary.
• Set up peer translanguaging groups to brainstorm, read, and prepare for speaking or writing tasks.
• Encourage multilingual, multimodal journals where students reflect in their preferred language and summarise in English.
Which door will you open?
In my IATEFL 2025 talk about plurilingual strategies for scaffolding learning in lower-proficiency classes, I showed two classroom doors.
One read 'English Only.'
The other: 'All Languages Welcome.'
Many of us were trained to walk through the first door. It feels safe. It is what we know. But our learners live at the second door.
When we open that second door, even just a little, we welcome students with their whole selves into the classroom: their languages, identities, stories and culture.
We don’t have to translate everything.
We don’t have to speak every language.
We just need to make space.