How Can Edtech Tools Best Support Multilingual Learners? Here Are 5 Recommendations

The ability to speak multiple languages is a superpower, enriching individual lives and strengthening communities. For instance, this NAEYC article describes the benefits of supporting children’s home languages and offers strategies for doing so. At Digital Promise, we believe in expanding opportunities for every learner, and central to this commitment is understanding learner variability.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 5 million students in public schools in 2021 (roughly 15% of students in kindergarten through third grade) spoke a language other than English at home and were in the process of acquiring English language proficiency at school. Understanding how to leverage these students’ strengths and respond to their needs is key to educational innovation.

Our new report, Unlocking the Potential of Technology Innovations: A Vision for Supporting Multilingual Learners, highlights how technology and digital media are currently being used to support young multilingual learners (MLLs) and, most importantly, generates actionable recommendations for future research and design. Our comprehensive study, as described in the report, involved a literature review, an exploratory scan of existing resources, and in-depth interviews with leading edtech designers and researchers. By synthesizing insights from all these activities, we aim to provide a roadmap for creating more powerful and effective digital learning experiences for MLLs.

“In terms of thinking about multilingual learners, it’s also through a lens of ‘How can we think about all the different ways kids are learning and their entry points?’ and build those in a cohesive, integrated, and inclusive way.” – Interview Participant

Based on our findings, we offer the following key recommendations:

• Develop Evidence-Based Frameworks for Technology Features: While various technologies like interactive media, animation, and digital applications are used to engage young MLLs, there’s a need for nuanced frameworks outlining evidence-based features that can be embedded in specific technologies to support MLLs.
• Investigate Technology’s Effectiveness Across Learning Areas: Technology and media currently support MLLs across diverse learning areas, with a historical focus on literacy and more recent efforts in STEM. Further research is essential to identify which features of technology and media are most beneficial for MLLs, and whether they are effective broadly or for subject-specific learning.
• Empirically Evaluate Design Approaches: Many approaches to supporting MLLs through edtech have been identified by designers and researchers, but few have undergone rigorous empirical evaluation. Efforts to investigate how specific strategies embedded in digital tools and the features of emerging technologies could guide design efforts with concrete evidence.
• Prioritize Intentional Design with MLL Voices: When designed with attention to language, culture, and community context, technology can be a powerful tool for young MLLs. Future design initiatives should meaningfully include the voices and perspectives of MLLs, their families, communities, and educators early and often throughout the product development process. Design efforts should move beyond simple translation, embracing culture and attending to issues of linguistic sensitivity.
• Foster Collaborative Funding and Broader Dissemination: To bridge the gap between design and research, funding opportunities should encourage collaborative teams to engage in participatory approaches across all design and research phases. Additionally, dissemination efforts should clearly highlight key design and research takeaways for a wide audience, including not only edtech designers and researchers, but also practitioners, families, and communities.

These recommendations underscore two overarching themes from our report: the potential of emerging technology to support MLLs and the critical importance of centering MLLs, their families, and communities in the design process to ensure resources are meaningful and effective.