Language

Beyond English-Only

By Anita Louise Churchville and Ceci Gomez-Galvez
08-Oct-25

A research-based look at why we must shift from English-only to multilingual approaches, leveraging students' linguistic assets for sustainable success... ..more

Empowering Multilingual Learners

By Anthony Harris
29-Jan-25

Learners face many challenges in second language acquisition. Strategies for building self-esteem and success for multilingual learners… ..more

When More is Never Enough, It’s Time to Think Differently

By Jon Nordmeyer and Dr. Virginia Rojas
24-Sep-25

EAL is no longer enough. Discover why schools need to evolve EAL teachers into multilingual learning specialists to meet the needs of diverse learners... ..more

Embracing Plurilingualism in Education

By Yulia Akhmetova
10-Sep-25

Although multilingualism and translanguaging may be allowed or even celebrated symbolically, pedagogical practices largely remain monolingual... ..more

Transitioning From Monolingual to Multilingual Approaches

By Megan Vosk and Shafali
16-Jul-25

Embrace multilingualism with inclusive practices and practical strategies that empower learners, support teachers, and celebrate language diversity... ..more

Cultivating Multilingual Ecosystems by Embracing Systematic Change

By Mayuko Perkins and Beth Puma
21-May-25

What if “every teacher is a language teacher” wasn’t a slogan but a schoolwide commitment to multilingual learners’ success... ..more

Same Classroom, Different Seat

By Conny Brock
10-Sep-25

It's important to occasionally return to the learner’s seat: to stumble, to stretch, to grow. Learning a student’s language is about fulfilling a universal need to make others feel seen and understood... ..more

Navigating the Linguistic Labyrinth: From Elevated Cognition to Lofty Language

By Saqib Rasib
28-Feb-24

Bilingual language support can enhance academic success and contribute to the cultivation of essential leadership traits… ..more

Content and Language Integrated Learning: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Best

By Scott Eder
31-Jan-24

Exploring the key advantages, potential drawbacks, and striking a balance to maximize the effectiveness of Content and Language Integrated Learning… ..more

Super Skilled EAL Teachers

By Susi Pucci
31-Jan-24

A peek into the deep skillset of the English as an Additional Language Specialist… ..more

Embracing Multilingualism in the Classroom

By Miyori Takano
19-Jun-24

A personal reflection on the impact of hegemonic language ideologies in international schools and the benefits of translanguaging… ..more

What Do International School Teachers Believe About Multilingualism?

By Dr. Samantha Olson-Wyman and Dr. Esther Bettney Heidt
17-Jan-24

Exploring language ideologies, how they might impact multilingual school communities, and how to shift toward more inclusive beliefs about language… ..more

A Case for Multilingualism in International Schools

By Christian Polizzi
24-May-23

Reflecting on the research, benefits, and desired outcomes, the advantages of the program are tangible and warrant the challenges faced… ..more

A Commitment to Inclusivity and Linguistic Diversity

By Tiffany Crook
25-Oct-23

Alegria, the English language acquisition program, symbolizes a new beginning, reflecting the dawn of new opportunities, growth, and journeys… ..more

How Did We Get Here? The Dangers of Watering Down Curriculum for Multilingual Students

By Sarah Y. Ko
10-May-23

We have the privilege and power to teach and advocate in a way that undoes some of the wrong in our world: reflect on biases, determine gaps, and collaboratively plan… ..more

Moving from Deficit Thinking to Asset-Based Thinking in Teaching Multilingual Learners

By Noria (ia) Adam-Lim
26-Apr-23

Our mindsets must shift from disadvantage to advantage, intervention to inclusion, monolingual to multilingual, equality to equity… ..more

Tweet Your Way to Fluency: Authentic Language Acquisition

By Raquel Parra and Dr. Yujiro Fujiwara
12-Apr-23

Incorporating social media into language instruction has been found to have several benefits for language learners… ..more

What Are International Schools?

By Yeji Kloosterman and Matthew Kloosterman
27-Sep-23

Due to the nature of working with people from different nations, cultures, and backgrounds, defining the term “international” is challenging... ..more

From “English-Only” to Dual Language

By Stephanie Drynan, Dr. Esther Bettney Heidt, and Jon Nordmeyer
26-Apr-23

A reflection on developing a dual language program with hopes of informing how to move toward more inclusive approaches to language education… ..more

Onboard the Corporate Express

By John Frame
15-Mar-23

Education already has enough of its own jargon with which teachers need to grapple without corporate language infiltration adding more complications… ..more

Language Policies Should Be a Part of Our DEIJ Conversations

By Alysa Perreras and Matt Hajdun
01-Feb-23

Guiding questions to invite schools to analyze their current language policies with a DEIJ lens… ..more

In Response to English-Only: A Translanguaging Call to Action

By Dr. Virginia Rojas
09-Nov-22

A call for us to rethink the oppositional intentions of English only vs. translanguaging in school policies and classroom practices… ..more

Let’s Talk About the EAL Fee

By Jon Nordmeyer
09-Nov-22

Understanding the implications of EAL fees on students, teachers, classrooms, and overall equity helps us move toward improving this system… ..more

Travel Without Leaving Home

By Lori Langer de Ramirez and Martina Mencer Salluzzo
06-Jul-21

During the Covid crisis, language teachers worked to expand our digital toolkit and find ways to connect our students with the world outside our Zoom rectangles. ..more

Fostering a Translanguaging Pedagogy within a Blended Learning Environment

By Alexandra Ritt Gustad & Esther Bettney
11-May-21

Translanguaging is the adaptable way in which multilingual people use their languages to communicate. As the action and practice of using a person’s full linguistic repertoire to construct meaning, we should be deploying this approach more broadly with our students. ..more

Helping ESL Students Transition from Virtual to Face-to-Face Classes

By Bonnie Billak
15-Mar-21

After months of virtual classes, students have become accustomed to being at home with parents. Now that schools are reopening, special attention needs to be focused on ESL students to ensure that the transition from virtual to face-to-face classes is a smooth one. ..more

Bilingualism and Cultural Awareness

By Gregory R. van Goidtsnoven
22-May-20

Learning a foreign language is not simply about understanding the vocabulary, and it requires much more than simply the ability to “pass.” These reductive perceptions don’t begin to take into account the complexity of systems at work in language development. ..more

International Schools and Parents, Do I Have to Be a Native English Speaker to Teach Your Child?

By Francis T Chapuredima
06-May-20

As an educator, my blood boils when I see job specifications that strongly state “all applicants except those from [insert host country] must be native English speakers from the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa." Schools should not restrict the pool of applicants to those hailing from a handful of countries. ..more

Expanding Facilities & Growing Community at Dalian Huamei Bilingual School

By Miles McFall
22-Apr-20

When the decision to expand the Dalian American International School program offerings to include a bilingual school for Chinese nationals was made in 2017, we asked: What do we value? What do we mean when we say we’re a “bilingual” school? How do the influences of culture on individuals and systems inform our planning? ..more

When Collaboration Goes Online, and Around the World

By Andrea Honigsfeld & Jon Nordmeyer
08-Apr-20

Some international teachers have been in virtual school for months, while for others it is a new experience. This article will share some key takeaways from what are we learning about international schools maintaining collaboration in support of English Learners (ELs). ..more

Bilingual Education in Southeast Asia

By Gregory R. van Goidtsnoven
13-Nov-19

With the emergence of a robust Asian market in global economics, the role of “English language” skills has been placed at the forefront of competitive and effective business strategies. What English should be taught? How should we teach it? ..more

Education in China: How Demand and Supply Are Changing

By Anne Keeling
03-Apr-19

Latest market trends from ISC Research on international education in China show that the international private schools market has grown substantially due to an increasing demand from Chinese parents for an international, bilingual approach to learning for their children. ..more

Second-Language Programs in International Schools

By Maurice Carder
22-Mar-19

Detailed, long-term research shows that a professional program of second language instruction is the key element allowing second language students to develop their English. However, many international schools have found it more convenient to follow national models of the Anglosphere. ..more

Creative Strategies for Embracing Diversity

By Shwetangna Chakrabarty
01-Feb-19

As an international school teacher, my biggest challenge is to cater to the needs of a diverse population of students from all over the world. At the same time, my greatest teaching asset is precisely the diversity of the student population! ..more

The EAL Poetry Challenge: We Can Do It!

By Bonnie Billak
19-Oct-18

With proper instruction and scaffolding, EAL students at all proficiency levels are capable of and should attempt the same work assignments as their peers. Sometimes they even excel in the process. ..more

Sing It! Songs as a Tool for Language Acquisition

By Ettie Zilber
28-Jul-18

If songs are so socially and emotionally engaging and so instrumental in the cognitive and physical development of children’s first language, think of how useful they could be in teaching and learning multiple languages. ..more

Benefits of English Language Testing at the Early Childhood Level

By Bonnie Billak
19-Jan-18

It is common practice for schools to test student proficiency levels in a variety of subject areas at all grade levels. Should assessing the English proficiency level of Early Childhood students be added to this battery of testing? ..more

Space, Scheduling, and Staffing: Three Challenges of ESL Programs Worldwide

By Bonnie Billak
03-Jan-18

Three of the most common challenges among ESL programs worldwide are space, scheduling, and staffing. Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of each challenge and explore some possible ways to approach its resolution. ..more

Teaching the Teachers at YCIS Beijing

By Brett Snipes and Christine Xu
23-Mar-18

For the seventh year in row, YCIS Beijing was selected to host local teachers at our Honglingjin Park campus to observe classroom lessons and learn more about the unique learning communities and bilingual co-teaching model on offer for students. ..more