Over 7,100 languages are spoken worldwide. Yet while research shows that speaking multiple languages is an advantage, many emergent multilingual learners (EMLs)—people of any age who are learning more than one language and developing proficiency to participate and be successful in their environment—do not receive an education that meets their needs. In the United States, very few teachers are prepared to build on the strengths of EMLs and engage them in challenging, high-quality education. And in countries with multiple local languages, students are often taught in a language different from their mother tongue.

 Around the world, EDC works with educators, families, policymakers, and community partners to create equitable and inclusive systems for EMLs. Our research, evaluations, professional learning, training, and adaptive curricula build on EMLs’ unique assets and expand access to a high-quality education, both inside and outside of the formal classroom.

Resources

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English for Latin America (ELA) is an interactive audio instruction program created by EDC for use in schools in Latin America. It can be used to teach English to youth and to provide teachers with the tools they need to teach English more effectively. This website examines the research base behind ELA, offers information about the elements comprising an ELA lesson, and contains videos of the...
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Instructional strategies that facilitate access to language and participation in mathematical discussions are essential to promote equitable learning opportunities for multilingual learners in the mathematics classroom. The research-based instructional strategies and tips for classroom implementation provided in this toolkit are designed to draw on multilingual learners’ strengths and to support...
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This report examines Cyberchase: Mobile Adventures in STEM , a bilingual family engagement program for families with children ages 6 to 8 years old that uses weekly text messages and media to encourage parents and kids to do fun, hands-on environmental learning activities at home.
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This report presents the Home Language Survey Data Quality Self-Assessment that was developed to help state departments of education and school districts improve the quality of data collected through home language surveys and improve the identification of potential English learner students.
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Based on an EDC-led workshop funded by the National Science Foundation, this white paper explores the impact of language documentation on language revitalization, shares the benefits of language documentation and revitalization for young children, and presents recommendations and implications for future research.
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This factsheet provides an overview of some of EDC’s work to strengthen P-3 programs and systems to foster dual-language proficiency and improve outcomes for young dual-language learners. In all of this work, we seek to build educator capacity to support language development, engage families, and sustain strong family-school-community partnerships.
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This study reviews student assessment data collected from 15 EDC projects to determine the impact of interactive radio instruction (IRI) on student achievement in hard-to-reach areas.