Space
Where will it happen? For example, a designated pair, planning sheet or support station. It is not automatically appropriate everywhere in the room.
EAL in Practice · Staff guidance
Controlled translanguaging in the classroom
Use a learner’s strongest language as a purposeful bridge into English, with a clear task, a visible time or space boundary, and an individual English response where English is the learning goal.
English remains the shared language of instruction and participation.
Other languages may support access, thinking and learning. Plan their use, make the purpose clear, and deliberately return learners to English.
The classroom routine
A five-step bridge back to English
- English inputPresent the concept with accessible English, visuals and key vocabulary.
- Purposeful L1 windowAllow brief, planned use to clarify meaning, retrieve knowledge or plan.
- BridgeIdentify the English words, structures or examples needed for the task.
- English outputDiscuss, explain, write or complete the subject task in English.
- Individual checkCheck what each learner understands; do not rely on one group answer.
Before you allow an L1 window
Set four controls
Time
Give the window a clear beginning and end. Name the time aloud and use a timer when that helps.
Purpose
Tell learners why another language will help: clarify a concept, activate prior knowledge, compare vocabulary or plan an answer.
English output
Say what comes back in English: a sentence, explanation, labelled diagram, written response, key vocabulary or group report.
Plan for the class you have
Protect access and participation
Where many learners share one first language, unstructured L1 use can quickly become the default for pair and group work. That may leave classmates who do not speak it outside the discussion, reduce English interaction, let one confident learner do the thinking or answer for others, and make individual understanding harder for the teacher to see.
This guidance does not call for a blanket ban on a particular language. Use a shared L1 when it solves a specific learning problem; plan mixed-language interaction or another route where it would otherwise exclude learners. Do not ask a student to translate an entire task or produce another learner’s answer.
Before allowing L1 use, ask:
- What learning problem is this solving?
- How long does the student need it?
- What will the student do independently in English afterwards?
Make the boundary concrete
Examples across the lesson
New concept
Teach it in accessible English with a visual. Allow a brief L1 clarification, then ask learners to label the model or explain the idea with the English terms.
Practical work
Keep safety instructions and key procedures in English with visual support. A brief L1 check may help before learners begin; then check each student can follow the steps.
Planning extended writing
Allow bilingual brainstorming or planning if useful. Provide the English connectors and subject vocabulary needed; the final response is written independently in English.
Vocabulary comparison
Compare an L1 equivalent with the English term to clarify meaning. Learners record and retrieve the English word, definition and example.
Calculations
A short discussion of method may support access. Each learner completes and explains their own calculation.
Exam practice
Clarify the underlying concept during teaching. As exam practice develops, reproduce the language conditions learners will meet independently.
Teacher language
Say the boundary clearly
“English is the shared language for this activity.”
“You have two minutes to clarify the concept in Mandarin; then prepare your explanation in English.”
“Stop there. Let’s bridge back to English. Which five words do you need?”
“Your partner can help you understand the idea, but they cannot give you the answer.”
“You can plan in both languages. Your final response needs to be in English.”
“Discuss it together first. Then everyone will answer independently.”
During the lesson
Green, amber, red: notice and respond
Green · useful support
- Briefly activates prior knowledge or clarifies a difficult concept.
- Has a stated purpose and a clear English bridge.
- Leaves every learner accountable for their own understanding.
Amber · tighten the plan
- The language window is running long or the space is unclear.
- One learner is carrying the explanation for a group.
- English output or an individual check has not been specified.
Red · stop and redirect
- The discussion has moved away from the task.
- Classmates are being excluded from participation.
- Continuous translation replaces learners’ own thinking or English practice.
Suggested school position
A shared statement for staff
English is the default shared language of instruction and participation. Students’ other languages are valued and may be used strategically to support access, thinking and learning. Teachers manage translanguaging through clear purposes, designated times or spaces, and an expected bridge back to English. Multilingual support should not replace independent thinking, allow peers to complete work for one another, exclude other students, or unnecessarily reduce opportunities to develop academic English.
Adapt the examples and routines to the languages represented in your class. Never assume that all multilingual learners share the same first language or the same literacy resources.