SFU's support system for teaching multilingual students

Supporting students from diverse language backgrounds can be challenging.

How can SFU instructors design assignments, projects and exams in ways that allow these students to demonstrate their true abilities and learning in a course?

The Centre for Educational Excellence’s team of English as an Additional Language (EAL) consultants can help.

“I think faculty can feel overwhelmed when they realize their students need support with writing and language skills because they often assume they’re only going to be teaching subject matter. The EAL team can help faculty understand that academic literacy is an important part of teaching a subject and that explicitly teaching it makes for a better learning experience for all students,” says Joel Heng Hartse, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education, who notes he reaches out to CEE's EAL consultants regularly for their advice and feedback.

EAL consultants meet with faculty one-on-one to understand their needs and offer customized solutions to make their courses, assignments and teaching strategies more inclusive to multilingual learners. They also offer workshops and programs such as the Linguistically Responsive Classroom Instructor Series (LRCIS) and the Multilingual Quick-Start workshop series.

A unique approach to support

At SFU, multilingual or EAL students can access writing and language support on their own through the Student Learning Commons. In addition, SFU has one of the few teaching centres in Canada with several staff members dedicated to supporting faculty who teach multilingual students.  

“Our aim in consultations is to support SFU instructors to meet their multilingual students where they are, as part of the diversity of learners in their specific teaching context, and to help instructors feel empowered in their ability to teach and assess students from all backgrounds,” says CEE associate director Fiona Shaw.  

How can you support your multilingual students?

So, what are some strategies you might consider applying to support multilingual students in your courses?

Making course materials clear

Sustainable energy engineering lecturer Mina Xu notes that one of her biggest takeaways from working with the EAL team is the importance of clarity in course materials and assessments.

“Taking their program helped me to be more mindful of how we use language when we create a syllabus or exam, and take the time to make sure they are clear and accessible to all students.”

Surfacing disciplinary terms and phrases

Criminology lecturer Helene Love, provided more opportunities for her students to master disciplinary terms by integrating a game into each class.

“All of our disciplines have their own unique terms and concepts, what I learned from the EAL team is that a big way we can include these students is by not assuming they know what these terms are and finding ways to introduce them. There are a lot of legal terms in my course, so I introduced a customized board game for them to play in class to give them a chance to build their familiarity with the terms.”

Scaffolding assignments

Molecular biology and biochemistry senior lecturer Irina Kovalyova redesigned an assignment to focus on the process of learning, rather than the product.

“The assignment asked them to critically evaluate a journal article and I was finding students were struggling with it. So, what I did instead was scaffold their learning process by breaking the assignment down into discrete, more digestible components. This made the processes involved in completing the assignment much more explicit, which is very important for all students including EAL learners,” says Kovalyova.

A dedicated team of support

"Whatever your teaching situation, we are here to provide SFU faculty with innovative approaches and evidence-informed strategies, tips, and resources to foster inclusive learning environments, celebrate linguistic diversity, and support academic success," says EAL consultant Amanda Wallace.    

To book an initial consultation, get support with a specific question or set up a custom workshop for your unit, visit CEE's Connect with Us page.   

Applications to the next Linguistically Responsive Classroom: Instructor Series, starting in January, close December 1.