Treating Students' Home Languages as Assets

7. The school honors and makes use of home languages of students who speak a language other than English.

Some educators may feel that the home language of English language learners is a deficit that must be overcome. It is important to remember that respect for students' native languages shows respect for students themselves. The resources below urge teachers to see home languages as a strength to build upon—and to avoid confusing language facility with learning difficulties.

Sonia Nieto makes the case that the home language of English language learners is a resource that teachers can use to enhance student learning.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialise correctly.

Alfredo Artiles argues that language is the quintessential cultural tool and schools need to view language in multiple ways to maximize student learning opportunities.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialise correctly.