Six ways to support multilingual students in STEM

Key points:

STEM education provides benefits to all students, especially multilingual students (ML) whose primary language is not English.

STEM can help with English language development by allowing students to interact with the language in a variety of ways. The hands-on nature of STEM learning also makes concepts and vocabulary easier to understand and makes learning fun.

Below are several strategies and tips that can help make learning more engaging and productive for MLs (or any student) in STEM.

1. Provide a concrete context for the new vocabulary.

Part of “doing STEM” means learning to speak the language of STEM. Each discipline comes with its own vocabulary. Includes unique terms, such as exponent and atomand everyday words with specialized meanings, such as mean either table.

For MLs, dealing with STEM terms while also navigating a new language can make it even more challenging. Native English speakers may also have difficulties. Regardless of their first language, students who do not understand terms such as numerator either denominatorFor example, you might start to think that fractions are “too hard” or that you are “just not a math person,” despite your ability.

Teaching vocabulary words within the context of a lesson, rather than as a list to memorize, can help students understand the meaning of a word and its application, making STEM feel more accessible.

• Whenever possible, students' first exposure to new vocabulary should include a hands-on experience. Starting a lesson with an experiment or interactive experience provides context for both the language and the content that students will learn.
• Be sure to explicitly teach words that have multiple meanings in English, e.g. base, bond, code, engineer, mass, model, range, volumeand strange and even.
• Offer students opportunities to talk with each other to practice using their new vocabulary. This helps them explain and reinforce their understanding and establish a personal connection with the terms.
• Provide convenient access and repeated exposure to essential vocabulary. Create a classroom word wall for the year or interchangeable walls that stay up for a unit. Have each student create flashcards or a STEM notebook that they can refer to.
• A variety of other tactics, such as drawings, pictures, manipulatives, sentence frames, short videos, physical activities, and games, can also be used to help students learn vocabulary.

2. Connect with real-world experiences.

Connecting STEM to the everyday world (for example, showing how chemical reactions affect the texture and flavor of food, or how geometry and climate impact local building design) can bring STEM to life and make theories abstract ones are more identifiable.

• Be open and curious about students' cultures and engage them in experiences that are familiar to them. Use foods, holidays, games, or other meaningful references during lessons.
• Ask students about their interests and incorporate them into posed problems or activities.
• Choose visuals and manipulatives that are relevant to students' life experiences.
• Work with students to develop projects on issues that concern them in school or the community.

3. Use visuals and technology.

The use of visual aids and technology can also help make complex STEM concepts more accessible and understandable.

• Use visual aids, such as drawings, graphic organizers, diagrams, charts, graphs, flash cards, and images of the everyday world, to explain concepts.
• Use digital curricula that have built-in language supports and accessibility features, such as text-to-speech, adjustable speaking rates, and highlighting each word as it is read aloud.
• Provide access to multimedia tools such as virtual manipulatives, PhET simulations, digital glossaries, videos and interactive games to improve equity and delight digital natives.
• Use subtitles on video content to improve comprehension and literacy skills.
• Help students remember definitions and concepts with visual activities, such as a matching activity. Or create Tarsia puzzles to teach vocabulary or reinforce lesson topics, such as converting and joining fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• Use physical manipulatives, such as cubes, tokens, dice, or even food, to turn abstract concepts into concrete images.

4. Provide students with opportunities to communicate their STEM thinking.

Students from different backgrounds often have their own ways of participating and learning. A flexible and inclusive approach can help ensure that all students feel involved and have opportunities to excel.

• Create classroom climates that are inclusive and supportive so that MLs feel comfortable taking risks with language and with STEM.
• Instead of yes or no questions, ask questions that encourage students to express their thinking. Make sure you provide enough time for MLs to formulate their thinking and your response in English. When they respond, focus on the content of their ideas and avoid stopping them to correct their English.
• Use prompts and sentence frames, designed for different levels of language proficiency, to guide students' responses. Another way to help MLs learn to express their STEM thinking is to model formal language as they express their contributions.
• Create activities that allow MLs to participate without the pressure of speaking in front of the entire class. Ask for choral responses or ask questions that can be answered with non-verbal responses, such as a drawing or a thumbs up or down.
• Research shows that display It contributes to the formation of students' knowledge. Have MLs create their own visual explanations, rather than relying solely on verbal and written explanations, can help them learn complex concepts and systems. It may also reveal misunderstandings or gaps in your knowledge.

5. Encourage collaboration and peer support.

Group work, projects and activities allow students to interact and learn from each other. They also give MLs the opportunity to practice English in an authentic way.

• Use small groups to discuss and solve problems. Group students with a mix of languages ​​and abilities so MLs can practice speaking and listening to other students using STEM vocabulary and the English language.
• Use partner conversation to improve understanding. Pair MLs with native English speakers or let them choose their own partners. Sometimes it is beneficial for students to work with someone who speaks the same native language for better understanding.
• Think-pair-share is another approach that allows students to think independently, discuss their thoughts with a partner, and share with the class. It gives MLs time to process and reflect on new information and contribute to class discussions.

Empower MLs with STEM

The examples above illustrate ways to maintain rigor in STEM while making the content more accessible to MLs and all students. There are also many other methods and tools that educators can implement to structure or personalize instruction to meet students' needs. With high-quality STEM experiences, MLs can develop the problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills they need to succeed, no matter what path they choose when they graduate.