5 Common misconceptions about teaching multilingual learners math

Misconception #1: Math is a universal language.

There’s a tendency to think that because numbers and math notation are consistent across many languages students don’t need linguistic support to learn math. But, that couldn’t be less true. Math isn’t just a series of algorithms applied in a vacuum; it’s built into the fabric of day-to-day life—and day-to-day life is very linguistic.

Think about the last time you did some quick math on a notepad. Did someone hand you a prewritten string of numerals and functions? Probably not! More likely, someone asked you a question, and you had to pull some information together to find the answer.

That’s why we ask students to work through word problems, not just to memorize the meaning of math notation. Students need to be able to solve more than 7 – 3 = ?; they need to be able to make sense of “You have 7 cookies, and your brother has 6 cookies. Two of your friends come over after school, and you each eat 1 of your cookies. Your brother has 1 friend over, and they each eat 2 of his cookies. How many cookies does each of you have left?”

As math instruction shifts to emphasize a balance of conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and real-world application, students are asked to engage with math in deeper and more complex ways than in the past. Today’s classrooms focus not just on getting the right answer but on understanding why the math works and how different ideas connect. This means students are increasingly expected to explain, justify, critique, and prove their thinking—making language a powerful tool for building and demonstrating mathematical understanding.

That’s not to say that it’s easy. Most word problems have a lot of words (go figure!), and, for a student developing English proficiency, that can pose a significant barrier. Effective strategies, such as those below, can help students access the math through appropriate linguistic supports.

Effective strategies to support multilingual learners

• Sentence frames are a helpful scaffold for MLs. They can help students focus on articulating their conceptual understanding rather than the structure of explaining their thoughts. For example, if we were asking students to justify their answer to the cookies question, we might give them the frame, “I think I have ___ cookies left because ___. I think my brother has ___ cookies left because ___.” In that example “because” is made explicit for students to justify their thinking. If students were comparing strategies, the sentence frames could include words to compare, such as: “but” or “both.” Likewise, if students were asked to retell their steps for solving, sentence frames might support sequence language (e.g., first, next, after, finally).
• Compare and Connect (math language routine [MLR] 7) is a good strategy to use to elicit and support mathematical discourse about various ways to approach a math problem. Because it gives students dedicated time to share different conceptualizations and make deliberate connections, it can help students understand how mathematical concepts are represented in visuals and equations, and push their thinking in describing math. It encourages students to use metacognition— think about when and why they might do different things and deepen their understanding of what’s happening—not focusing solely on finding the right answer, regardless of whether they understand why it’s the right answer. Listening to their peers’ ideas and processes—and how they use language to communicate those—provides a model for making mathematical thinking visible in multiple ways. Using this strategy contributes to students’ sense of value when they have the opportunity to share their ideas and it gives them a chance to practice the new language they are learning from their teacher and peers.

Misconception #2: Using a student’s home language in math will confuse them (or confuse the teacher!).

Sometimes teachers are under the impression that they shouldn’t use students’ home languages to teach math because it will confuse them. The thinking is, “The test will be in English, so students need to learn in English.” However, restricting the use of home languages in the math classroom can deprive students of some of their best tools to actually make sense of what they’re being asked to learn. For example, when engaging in discussion, if students feel welcome to use the language that they are most comfortable with, they will likely have deeper conversations that solidify their understanding of concepts. All students—not just MLs—benefit from opportunities to use all the tools at their disposal, whether that’s home languages, different dialects, informal language, or provided examples. Teachers can use a process called “translanguaging” to translate students’ sensemaking to the formal, English math language.

Another worry we often see from teachers about bringing multiple languages into the classroom is that they won’t be able to support instruction in a language they don’t personally use. But, a little goes a long way when it comes to supporting students who speak other languages. Learning just a few words in a student’s home language can help the whole class see how all languages are tools for learning math. Moreover, it can also reinforce that students don’t have to check their home languages—a crucial part of who they are—at the door of the math classroom.

Creating a classroom environment that doesn’t make students feel they must compartmentalize an integral part of their culture and means of self-expression from their experience learning math can help students create connections between math and their everyday lives. Math is something that is all around us and embedded in our experiences and who we are as people! It’s not just a tool for engineering, but something that helps us make sense of the world in so many ways. Creating opportunities for students to use their home languages in the classroom builds their confidence and sense of belonging as mathematicians.

Effective strategies for supporting multilingual learners

• Educators can ask an AI to make a chart of all relevant vocabulary and identify cognates for the day’s lesson that includes all languages students in the classroom use. This type of chart can also serve as an anchor to help teach metalinguistic awareness to all students, pointing out similarities and differences between languages.
• Targeted use of translation services can be useful for developing MLs’ understanding and their math language fluency. Translation can help teachers meet the needs of their students in so many ways—particularly when they don’t speak a student’s home language. However, it is possible to overuse (or misuse) translation materials and services.
• When using translation services, it’s important for there to be parameters on how much, to what extent, and for what purpose. Just as it doesn’t help MLs build language connections to deny them access to their home languages, it doesn’t help MLs to give them translations at the exclusion of English. However, giving students access to text in their home language and English 1) gives students an opportunity to make connections between versions of the text, building their English proficiency, and 2) enables them to use all the tools at their disposal to make sense of the math task.
• The ultimate goal of ML supports is to use the language(s) in which they already have proficiency to build their English proficiency, so they’re able to fully access the systems they encounter both in and beyond K–12 schooling.

Misconception #3: Math language must be taught separately from mathematical concepts (and learning the language needs to come first).

Teachers often learn that to support multilingual learners in math instruction, pre-teaching vocabulary is necessary (i.e., first the class reviews a definition, then students work to apply that definition within a lesson). However, research has shown that this isn’t the case. When students, including MLs, encounter vocabulary in isolation (e.g., memorizing “denominator” without seeing it in context), they often struggle to apply it in problem-solving. What’s often more effective than introducing isolated terms in word lists, is introducing them as they arise naturally in problem-solving.

For example, when 5th graders are introduced to the concept of volume, a 5th-grade teacher could start a lesson by saying, “Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. We find volume using the formula length × width × height.”

Or, a teacher could begin by inviting students to explore differently sized 3D objects and discuss which is bigger or could hold the most liquid. Real-life examples, like a fish tank or hands-on tools like unit cubes, help students visualize, describe, and connect ideas—like understanding “bigger” as holding more water or being made of more cubes. (Students can engage in this process effectively before ever hearing the word “volume.”) Once students have spent time exploring these ideas, the teacher can explain that volume is “the amount of space an object takes up”—and leverage students’ early sensemaking experiences to support a smoother transition to more formal strategies, such as finding volume using area or applying the formula.

In the first approach, unfamiliar vocabulary and formulas can become barriers before students even begin engaging with the math. In the second approach, students are invited to make meaning, leverage what they already know, and develop language alongside mathematical understanding.

Giving students time to make sense of a concept before they get caught up in English terminology can help them make connections because it gives them permission to draw from their whole knowledge base—what they know informally, or from last year/unit/class, or from a different language. MLs also benefit from real-world examples, manipulatives, and visual supports, which can help reinforce both concept and language.

Effective strategy to support multilingual learners

• If you want to help students focus on the language of math, Collect and Display (MLR 2) can be a powerful tool. It supports students in using language to develop mathematical ideas by making their evolving thinking visible. For example, during partner discussions, teachers can collect and display student language, drawings, and solution strategies for the whole class to see and discuss. As the unit progresses, this visual can be updated with new or refined terms, strategies, and representations. This process helps students move from informal understandings and language to more formal mathematical language in an authentic way. It supports all students—not just multilingual learners—in deepening both their mathematical understanding and the language they use to explain their thinking.
• Real-life examples, actual items (e.g., measuring cups for a lesson on measuring liquid), images (e.g., a picture of a fence in a lesson on perimeter), or video/demonstration (e.g., dice demonstration for probability) can help students understand the context so that they can focus their cognitive work on the mathematical concept rather than the language of the task.

Misconception #4: Multilingual learners should master English before engaging in complex math discussions.

Educators sometimes feel like their students don’t yet have enough English to teach them math. But achieving English proficiency isn’t necessary to advance math learning. Teachers can integrate language instruction alongside content instruction to develop MLs’ mathematical reasoning and communication skills simultaneously.

Additionally, it’s important not to assume that students who may not be producing a lot of English yet aren’t understanding English. We know from data across the country that, when we compare language domains—listening, speaking, reading, writing—the average scores for listening are higher than the other domains for all grade bands, which indicates that students are often capable of taking in a lot more academic language than they’re (yet) able to produce. Students are often more equipped to develop their math understanding than we give them credit for!

Note: It’s also important not to confuse strong social language skills with strong language skills across the board—even students who have strong conversational English might need additional support for academic language. This goes for students whose first language is English too!

Effective strategies for supporting multilingual learners

• Structured discourse is an effective way to invite students to practice conversation. However, we need to remember that structured discourse isn’t just about getting students to talk—it’s about creating meaningful opportunities for them to engage in conversations that deepen their understanding. When students have clear prompts, sentence stems, or specific roles in a discussion, they’re more likely to feel confident contributing, especially if they’re still developing English proficiency. Plus, these structured interactions give them the chance to practice academic language in a low-pressure way, reinforcing both math concepts and language skills.
• Stronger and Clearer Each Time (MLR 1) is a good strategy to help students develop more specific and formal math language. In this strategy, students discuss a problem or make sense of a concept with multiple partners; then they offer each other feedback. For MLs, it can be particularly helpful for them to begin discussion with a peer(s) who shares a home language, so they can focus on solidifying their conceptual understanding without worrying about language precision, then have another discussion or two with a peer with a higher English proficiency level, enabling them to focus on expressing themselves in English without having to simultaneously get clear on the concept.

Misconception #5: Multilingual learners need simplified math problems to succeed.

When someone is struggling, there’s a natural tendency to try and make their work easier. But any educator can tell you that’s seldom the right approach to helping students learn—and supporting MLs is no different. Unfortunately, in math classrooms, simplifying problems for MLs happens far too often. For example, when the class is tasked with a word problem, it’s not uncommon for teachers to remove the words for their MLs—and give them only the equation. However, MLs can thrive when given high-quality, rigorous math tasks with appropriate supports. Instead of lowering the cognitive demand, provide scaffolding (e.g., images to support the context of the word problem, chunking the text into points as opposed to a paragraph, graphic organizers, modeling, group work).

We’ve also seen many instances of teachers giving their MLs “tricks” (e.g., “if you see this word, it means you have to add; if you see that word, it means you have to subtract”). These kinds of modifications might make the day-to-day classroom experience easier, but they don’t really help MLs develop math proficiency—or language proficiency in general. Once, one of this piece’s authors did an experiment: she gave students a problem that made absolutely no sense. But guess what? Her students tried to solve it anyway! They were focused entirely on looking for those “keywords” that were supposed to tip them off—not on understanding the problem.

Teaching students to navigate word problems linguistically isn’t something teachers necessarily think about when teaching students whose first language is English (e.g., how a pronoun is used—in a single question “they” and “those” could refer to two different items), but it’s often essential for MLs.

Effective strategy for supporting multilingual learners

• Three reads (MLR 6) is an effective strategy for unpacking meaning and building the language skills to help students understand word problems. By guiding students through multiple readings with a distinct focus each time—first understanding the situation, then identifying key numbers, and finally considering the actual question—this strategy makes word problems more accessible and develops the academic language students need to tackle more complex math.

Above, we featured specific strategies that can help MLs accelerate math learning. However, they can also be sequenced to maximize students’ opportunities to engage in math discourse. For example, in a lesson about finding the area of a parallelogram, a teacher starts by showing a number of examples of various parallelograms and engaging students in a Notice and Wonder activity. As students discuss those, the teacher Collects and Displays (MLR 2) the language students use colloquially to fold in the more precise language later. Once students start working on finding the area for one of the parallelograms, they use the Compare and Connect routine (MLR7) to make sense of varied strategies using Discussion Supports (MLR8) such as sentence frames (“Jade did ____ first, yet Jessica did ___ first”). Finally, students complete Stronger and Clearer Each Time (MLR 1) to revise and refine both their ideas and their verbal and/or written output.

Integrating all those routines in class would be challenging given time constraints—and we’re not advocating that teachers cram that many in! However, we want to illustrate how teachers could string two or three of these strategies together and emphasize that there is no single way to engage students in math sensemaking that supports developing their math language proficiency.