Leveraging Multilingualism to Strengthen English Language Communication in ESL Classroom

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1. Verfasser: Dr Shabreen Sultana Shaik
Format: Recurso digital
Veröffentlicht: Zenodo 2026
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author Dr Shabreen Sultana Shaik
author_facet Dr Shabreen Sultana Shaik
contents <p>The English as a Second Language (ESL) learning environment in India is inherently<br>multilingual, shaped by learners’ diverse linguistic backgrounds, migration, and socio-cultural contexts.<br>Scholars such as Halliday (1978) emphasize that language is a social semiotic system, making multilingual<br>classrooms a natural outcome of societal diversity. Despite well-established cognitive, social, and<br>communicative benefits of multilingualism, prevailing ESL practices often marginalize learners’ home<br>languages, treating them as obstacles rather than resources for English language communication. This<br>paper addresses a critical research gap in Indian ESL contexts: the limited classroom-level exploration of<br>how multilingual resources can be systematically integrated to strengthen English language<br>communication within inclusive pedagogical frameworks. Grounded in the principles of inclusive<br>education outlined by UNESCO (2030), the paper examines the strategic use of learners’ linguistic<br>repertoires to enhance participation, comprehension, and communicative confidence. It also considers the<br>role of digital technologies, which Krashen (2013) identifies as effective tools for providing accessible and<br>cost-effective multilingual support. The findings suggest that leveraging multilingualism in the ESL<br>classroom leads to improved communicative competence, increased learner engagement, and reduced<br>linguistic exclusion. Hence, this paper concludes that multilingual pedagogies constitute an effective<br>instructional approach for strengthening English language communication and promoting equitable<br>learning outcomes in ESL classrooms.</p>
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spellingShingle Leveraging Multilingualism to Strengthen English Language Communication in ESL Classroom
Dr Shabreen Sultana Shaik
<p>The English as a Second Language (ESL) learning environment in India is inherently<br>multilingual, shaped by learners’ diverse linguistic backgrounds, migration, and socio-cultural contexts.<br>Scholars such as Halliday (1978) emphasize that language is a social semiotic system, making multilingual<br>classrooms a natural outcome of societal diversity. Despite well-established cognitive, social, and<br>communicative benefits of multilingualism, prevailing ESL practices often marginalize learners’ home<br>languages, treating them as obstacles rather than resources for English language communication. This<br>paper addresses a critical research gap in Indian ESL contexts: the limited classroom-level exploration of<br>how multilingual resources can be systematically integrated to strengthen English language<br>communication within inclusive pedagogical frameworks. Grounded in the principles of inclusive<br>education outlined by UNESCO (2030), the paper examines the strategic use of learners’ linguistic<br>repertoires to enhance participation, comprehension, and communicative confidence. It also considers the<br>role of digital technologies, which Krashen (2013) identifies as effective tools for providing accessible and<br>cost-effective multilingual support. The findings suggest that leveraging multilingualism in the ESL<br>classroom leads to improved communicative competence, increased learner engagement, and reduced<br>linguistic exclusion. Hence, this paper concludes that multilingual pedagogies constitute an effective<br>instructional approach for strengthening English language communication and promoting equitable<br>learning outcomes in ESL classrooms.</p>
title Leveraging Multilingualism to Strengthen English Language Communication in ESL Classroom
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19162807