When I think about the term multilingual learner (MLL or ML), I’m reminded of my own journey as both a student and an educator. I grew up navigating school in one language while speaking another at home. Years later, as a dual language teacher, I supported students who were also learning and living across multiple languages. The terminology used at the time was different. Labels like English learner (EL) and English language learner (ELL) emphasized the skills students lacked. Since then, the language used to describe students has evolved. Terms like multilingual learners reflect a shift in education towards asset-based language, recognizing the rich linguistic and cultural strengths students bring into the classroom.
For school leaders, understanding this shift in language, as well as who MLLs are and the range of experiences they bring, is essential for supporting access to instruction and building a school culture where every student feels valued. When leaders address both the assets and the needs of multilingual learners, they can better design systems, allocate resources, and support teachers in ways that enhance student learning. This post will break down what MLL means and how it differs from ELL, as well as share practical strategies for creating welcoming environments where multilingual learners can thrive.
What does MLL stand for in education?
In education, the acronym MLL can stand for either multilingual learner or multilingual language learner, though the latter is less commonly preferred since all individuals are language learners in some capacity. The term describes students who are developing proficiency in multiple language, with their primary language usually being one other than English.
Unlike the terms EL and ELL, which highlight what students have yet to achieve, the term MLL takes an asset-based approach. It recognizes the linguistic strengths learners bring to the classroom. Many educators today have shifted from using EL/ELL to ML/MLL, reflecting a growing emphasis on intentionality honoring students’ linguistic backgrounds. By embracing this terminology and encouraging instruction that leverages students’ assets, educators and leaders can foster a sense of belonging in the classroom.
Understanding multilingual learners’ needs
Multilingual learners are not a monolithic population. A single school or district may serve newcomers adjusting to a new language and culture, long-term learners who have spent years developing academic English, and students enrolled in dual-language programs. While many MLLs navigate similar challenges, like language development and cultural transitions, these experiences vary widely. For this reason, school and district leaders play a critical role in ensuring that instruction is not one-size-fits-all. Data-informed decision-making grounded in language proficiency levels, academic performance, and students’ backgrounds allows leaders to design responsive supports and select resources to ensure multilingual learners’ success.
4 key strategies for supporting MLLs
Supporting multilingual learners can start with a school leadership team that sets clear priorities and builds systems to meet students’ language and academic needs. School and district leaders can shape the structure and expectations that make effective instruction possible. The strategies below highlight key actions leaders can take to create school widely support for MLLs.
1. Strengthen cross-department collaboration
Effective MLL support requires coordination across classroom teachers, language program staff, literacy specialists, and instructional coaches. Leaders can establish structures for consistent collaboration, like shared planning time or routine data-review meetings. This prioritization helps ensure cohesive practices, aligned materials, and unified expectations across classrooms. It also reinforces shared responsibility, making clear that supporting multilingual learners is not the task of one specialist but a collective effort that spans every classroom, grade level, and educator role.
2. Ensure access to high-quality materials
School leaders and administrators can strengthen support for multilingual learners by ensuring teachers have access to high-quality instructional materials and training. Leaders should prioritize English Language Development (ELD) not merely as a program, but as an essential instructional component that provides structured language opportunities aligned to state guidance. By investing in professional learning focused on why ELD matters and providing resources and tools for integrating it into instruction, leaders can help teachers intentionally embed language development within core teaching rather than treat it as optional or an add-on. This ensures students receive what they are rightfully entitled to and support language and content development simultaneously, reducing obstacles and promoting confidence.
3. Set measurable goals and progress-monitoring structures
By establishing clear targets for language proficiency growth and academic achievement, leaders create a roadmap for continuous improvement in serving multilingual learners. Monitoring progress through walk throughs, reviewing student work, and analyzing language development assessments ensures that language growth remains visible beyond testing windows. Furthermore, ongoing data cycles, where teams review results, reflect on instructional practices, and plan next steps, allow leaders to identify strengths and areas for growth and make timely adjustments that support multilingual learners all year, rather than waiting for annual scores to signal needs.
4. Provide ongoing professional development
When leaders invest in sustained professional development, they equip teachers with the knowledge and strategies needed to support MLLs’ academic and linguistic growth. High-quality training should go beyond compliance or program requirements and help educators deepen their understanding of multilingual students’ cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. Professional learning can also strengthen teachers’ capacity to integrate language supports into content instruction, foster inclusive learning environments, and honor the assets MLLs bring to the classroom. Ongoing training also ensures alignment across classrooms and curriculums, building a shared commitment to instructional practices that promote access and engagement.
Policy considerations and potential challenges in supporting MLLs
Federal and state mandates provide a foundation for how schools and districts should serve multilingual learners. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), schools are required to follow a uniform process for identifying MLLs and assigning appropriate services, ensuring that students receive the supports they are entitled to. With these requirements in mind, leaders are responsible for designing and implementing structures that effectively meet the needs of MLLs. This includes making informed decisions about funding, such as allocating Title III dollars, state bilingual funds, and local resources, to expand programming and invest in staff development.
At the same time, school and district leaders may face barriers that make system-building challenging, including staffing shortages, gaps in professional learning, and inconsistent use of data to inform instruction. Despite these obstacles, many districts are finding success by adopting strategic, sustainable approaches. This includes using funding to invest in targeted professional development and establishing collaborative data-review structures. When leaders implement these strategies, they not only enhance learning experiences for multilingual learners but also improve instruction across the entire school community.
Building a positive school culture for MLLs
School leaders and administrators can set the tone for a positive school culture. When principals and district leaders actively promote positive attitudes toward different languages, they help create an environment where multilingualism is seen as an asset. This can be reinforced through celebrations of students’ languages and cultures, such as cultural heritage events and classroom displays that reflect the school’s linguistic landscape.
Family engagement is equally important. Schools can honor families’ primary languages by offering interpretation, translating key materials, hosting multilingual family nights, and inviting families to share their cultural knowledge in classrooms. Leaders can ask bilingual or multilingual staff and educators to assist with these initiatives, as well as share cultural and linguistic insight. These actions communicate respect and strengthen relationships with students and families, helping them feel seen and included.
School leaders have the power to create learning environments where every language is embraced and respected. By adopting this mindset and building systems that reflect it, leaders can ensure that classrooms recognize MLLs’ linguistic assets as foundations for learning and belonging.
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