Engaging Families in Writing: Strategies for Multilingual Learners of English

In most countries and communities, in the new year, families unite to celebrate. These occasions offer an extraordinary opportunity to learn more about family traditions and stories, and they provide a great chance to connect this knowledge with academic content. Integrating the families of multilingual learners of English (MLEs) in the writing process contributes to recognizing and valuing students’ linguistic diversity and cultural assets. Following are three strategies to help integrate MLEs’ families in writing tasks.

1. Include Culturally Relevant Writing

I previously wrote about 15 culturally relevant writing practices for MLEs and offered a variety of ways to include writing tasks that are culturally relevant to learners. The inclusion of different cultural perspectives in writing is a key element to reinforce MLEs’ roots; it encourages a welcoming and inclusive environment in the classroom and provides opportunities for richer compositions.

Create writing tasks that allow learners to use their heritage language and culture in addition to using English. Additionally, provide learners with language supports, like dictionaries or writing templates, to facilitate writing production and guarantee MLEs’ active participation in the lesson.

Example
Have learners create a blog where they can publish posts on their favorite cultural tradition or celebration. First, learners collect information by interviewing their relatives, and then they select a topic (or they can select a topic first and interview next, so that their questions can be more targeted). Second, instruct learners on your selected online platform for students to publish their work (e.g., Wix, WordPress, Blogger, Substack). Third, pair MLEs with other classmates who either share the same home language or who are skilled in English to provide peer support in writing. Fourth, learners write their posts, publish them and receive comments from their classmates.

2. Encourage Writing as a Family Activity

Family involvement is essential in supporting MLEs with writing, because writing is a complex task that MLEs often struggle with. This struggle arises sometimes because students do not have the same cultural and linguistic knowledge usually shared in English-speaking communities, which makes it challenging to develop academic writing genres.

To address this, incorporate writing tasks that encourage the use of home languages when brainstorming, helping students to start the writing process. You can also educate parents (or relatives) by, for example, inviting them to participate in workshops focused on writing strategies. This will allow families to better support their children’s writing at home as well as foster family involvement and promote bilingual development as students and families write together in both their home language and English.

Example
Have learners work on a project at home where linguistic diversity is celebrated. After learners write about a family tradition or cultural practice, have them collect a story or tale in their home language and work with a family member to write a version in English. Afterward, have students create a visual representation of the story and celebration. Finally, display the projects around the classroom, emphasizing both the compositions in the home language and English. Invite families to do a gallery walk and view other students’ work.  

3. Celebrate Writing

Celebrations are always an opportunity to unite people, and the end or beginning of a year is a wonderful occasion to rejoice. MLEs and their families will value the opportunity to share their cultural assets with others at school; one way to offer families this opportunity is by allowing them to celebrate their writing.

Example
Host a multilingual writing exhibit, where different grades can organize a cultural fair showcasing learners’ cultures. Pair MLEs with a partner who shares the same language or has a higher level of English proficiency, so they can collaborate on the project. Invite families to participate by telling their children about their culture and helping to brainstorm cultural products to showcase (poems, stories, pictures, etc.). Have students participate in peer review writing workshops for the produced cultural items, sharing three positives and two pieces of constructive feedback. Schedule the exhibit and present the cultural fair to the school community.

Inviting families to have an active role in their children’s development of their culturally relevant projects transforms writing into a collaborative, social activity. These tasks require thoughtful planning and cultural sensitivity that welcomes, values, and respects students’ and families’ heritage.