Learning in Every Language: How PBL Supports Multilingual Students

Discover how project-based learning helps multilingual students shine by creating hands-on experiences that facilitate language-learning opportunities.

MARIA LUISA GARCIA UNDERWOOD
Lead Professional Development Advisor
​

Meeting the needs of multilingual learners (MLLs) in classrooms filled with students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds requires innovative and inclusive approaches. Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional framework that supports language acquisition and provides ongoing feedback on their progress. By engaging students in real-world, inquiry-driven projects, PBL allows MLLs at various levels of language proficiency to demonstrate an understanding of their knowledge in ways that traditional assessments often cannot capture.

Language acquisition is complex and multifaceted, particularly for those learning a second language (L2) — unlike first language (L1) learners, who typically acquire first languages in a nurturing environment, MLLs often face challenges that hinder their educational progress. These challenges encompass sentiments of isolation, cultural transitions, and disparate timelines for language acquisition. Recognizing these factors is essential in creating a supportive learning environment that fosters growth.

Project-based learning is a dynamic teaching method that encourages students to learn and apply knowledge and skills through engaging projects. Its emphasis on inquiry, collaboration, and real-world relevance, makes it an effective formative assessment and ideal experience for multilingual learners.

---

Authentic engagement and motivation

​PBL leverages students' interests by allowing them to explore real-world problems or challenges. This authentic engagement particularly benefits MLLs, who can connect their learning to their lived experiences and communities. Engaging in initiatives of personal significance enhances students' motivation, facilitates their access to language and unfamiliar content, and fosters sustained investment in their learning journey. This, in turn, promotes a deeper level of comprehension and retention of language skills.
​

Dig deeper

---

Writing beyond the grade
Explore the power of student-led writing as students from New York's Global Learning Collaborative — Diego Medina, Scarleth Tejada — and their teacher, Sandra Woods, share how a publication project with the Student Press Initiative helped transform their lived experiences into authentic, published work.

---

Language use across modalities

​Project-based learning naturally integrates all four language modalities: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. MLLs can enhance their language proficiency in context, moving beyond rote memorization to meaningful communication. For example, when working on a group project, students may collaborate to develop a presentation, allowing them to practice speaking and listening. They may also participate in reading and writing tasks as they research information and document their findings. This holistic approach accommodates students at various proficiency levels, enabling them to demonstrate their learning through different forms of expression.
​

Dig deeper

---

BUILDING BRIDGES INTO TEXTS: A LITERACY UNBOUND EXPERIENCE

Literacy Unbound offers a bridge between language and literacy with a project-based, multimodal approach that is particularly effective for multilingual learners, as it incorporates diverse forms of expression — movement, sound, and visuals. As it makes complex texts more accessible, the experience also fosters deeper understanding and promotes language development.

---

Collaborative learning environment

​PBL encourages collaboration among students, which is particularly advantageous for MLLs. Working in structured groups allows students to practice language in authentic, low-pressure situations. Peer-to-peer interactions allow MLLs to observe and mimic language patterns (local colloquial speech), expand their vocabulary, and refine their understanding of sentence structures in the new language. These interactions are vital for language acquisition, as they mirror the natural process of learning through communication.

​Furthermore, well-facilitated group work allows for role differentiation. For example, students who possess more proficiency in conducting research in their native language can collect information and subsequently translate essential points. Conversely, other students possessing more robust verbal skills can share the results of their work with the entire class. Also, students collaborating on a project concerning ecosystems may engage in developing visual infographics or constructing models, contingent upon their respective levels of language proficiency. This collaborative dynamic enhances linguistic competencies and cultivates a sense of belonging and mutual respect among diverse learners.
​

Dig deeper

---

SCAFFOLDING ACCOUNTABLE GROUP WORK

Scaffolding accountable group work involves creating clear roles and expectations to ensure every student is engaged and contributing. By structuring tasks and promoting collaboration, we can guide students through meaningful group experiences that prevent disengagement and foster teamwork, helping balance group dynamics and encourage personal responsibility within the collective work.

---

Varied assessment opportunities

​One of the main benefits of PBL is its flexibility in assessment. Conventional assessments often emphasize written or oral language output or production, which may result in overlooking multilingual learners' comprehension of content and their overall understanding. PBL, on the other hand, permits students to demonstrate their knowledge holistically. For example, a scientific assignment focused on renewable energy may necessitate that students conduct research, compose a report, develop a model, and present their conclusions. Each component provides students various opportunities to demonstrate their comprehension in diverse manners, offering a more holistic representation of their learning. This multifaceted approach to assessment allows students of differing proficiency levels to exhibit their knowledge in manners that align with their strengths. For example, a student may demonstrate their understanding through a visual project, a video presentation, or a PowerPoint deck rather than exclusively depending on their writing skills.
​

Dig deeper

---

EQUITY AND ASSESSMENT

Equitable assessment practices go beyond leveling the playing field—they aim to empower all students by giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in ways that align with their strengths. This approach promotes fairness by differentiating assessments and considering students' individual needs, while fostering a growth mindset that emphasizes progress over grades.

---

Scaffolding and support

​Implementing PBL provides ample opportunities for scaffolding and contextualizing language, a crucial element for supporting MLLs. For MLLs, language acquisition is most effective when tied to clear, meaningful contexts. PBL naturally integrates visuals, hands-on activities, and real-world applications, which make abstract language and concepts more accessible. This targeted support enables students to focus on content rather than get overwhelmed by language barriers.

​Teachers can design projects with built-in scaffolds, such as graphic organizers and sentence frames, and bilingual resources, such as dictionaries or thesauri, to assist students in expressing their ideas. For example, a history project on the civil rights movement might include timelines, photographs, and videos alongside primary source texts. These multimodal resources help MLLs understand content while building their academic language proficiency.
​

Dig deeper

---

THESE STUDENTS CAN'T...YET: UNPACKING THE PROGRESSIVE SCAFFOLDING FRAMEWORK

The Progressive Scaffolding Framework emphasizes the importance of gradual independence in student learning supporting learners through stages of increasing responsibility, where they first observe, then assist, and finally take the lead with minimal guidance. This approach builds both skills and confidence, ensuring students are challenged while receiving the right level of support. 

---

Development of critical thinking and problem-solving

Beyond language development, PBL cultivates critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity — universally valuable skills in education and beyond. For MLLs, project-based learning bridges their prior knowledge, often rooted in their native language and cultural background, to new concepts they are learning in English. For instance, a student studying immigration policies might draw on personal or family experiences, enriching the project with unique perspectives while deepening their engagement with academic language. By valuing and incorporating students’ lived experiences, PBL accelerates language acquisition and validates their identities, creating a classroom environment where diversity is celebrated.
​

Dig deeper

---

CLOSE UP ON CRSE: EMBEDDING INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING TASKS

Intellectually challenging tasks help engage students by connecting learning to their experiences and fostering resilience. By integrating meaningful and relevant content, educators can create opportunities for students to persist through challenges while gaining a deeper understanding. This approach builds critical thinking skills and empowers students to take ownership of their learning.

---

​In conclusion, project-based learning is a valuable tool for supporting multilingual learners. It offers an inclusive, differentiated, and meaningful approach to instruction and assessment. By engaging students in collaborative, real-world projects, PBL creates opportunities for MLLs to demonstrate their understanding in ways that honor their strengths and respect their linguistic and cultural identities.