The Unsung Heroes of our Classrooms

Multilingual learners—ELL, ELA, ESL students—are what I call the heroes of international schools. Not because they fly around in capes saving the day, but because they face a tremendous challenge that even adults would struggle to navigate. Imagine moving to a new country, adapting to an entirely different culture, and studying in an English-medium school where you are expected to exist, integrate, and academically succeed—all while learning a new language.

Let’s be honest, these students often have no say in the matter—their parents make the decision to move, and they have to go along with it. While they may one day realise that being thrown into a culturally and linguistically diverse school environment was an incredible opportunity, in the moment, the journey is anything but easy. As a non-native English teacher, I can attest to the struggles of being a language learner which helps me guide my students more effectively through empathy. The reason I call them unsung heroes—I will come to that later.

My Own Journey as a Language Learner

I didn’t grow up in a multicultural environment nor was I formally educated in a culturally and linguistically diverse school context. My entire schooling - including university - took place in public institutions in Türkiye. I started learning English at the age of 12 as English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in a setting where I had little real need for it outside of the classroom. Even then, English was often taught through Turkish as the medium of instruction, which meant that my opportunities to truly acquire the language were limited.

Yet, even within that setting, learning English opened doors - it sparked my curiosity about other perspectives, cultures, and languages, which led me to study in a high school where English was the core subject and encouraged me to study Linguistics as my Bachelor’s degree. Fast forward to my mid-twenties, and for the first time, I found myself in England.

I vividly remember an interaction with someone there. Upon realising that I lacked knowledge of certain culturally specific topics, she remarked, “This girl needs to be educated.” To this day, I don’t believe she meant any harm, but at that moment, it made me feel small and insecure. In Türkiye, I was considered highly educated, yet in this new context, I was being seen as someone who lacked fundamental knowledge - simply because I was unfamiliar with certain cultural norms.

Years later, I realised that her comment wasn’t meant to undermine me but was rather a reflection of an expectation that I should already know about her culture. There are so many examples of this kind - being ridiculed for pronouncing words incorrectly, being told that I wasn’t speaking English properly and accurately… - that help me every single day of teaching to empathise with my students. H. Jackson Brown Jr. put it best when he said:

“Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language.”

I teach incredibly intelligent, resilient, and strong students who navigate their international school experiences with remarkable perseverance. And yet, I see them encounter struggles - they are expected to academically and socially keep up, sometimes to the point of assimilation rather than affirmation. Many of them choose silence over the fear of being corrected or judged for their English proficiency. Having been a language learner myself, and having taught English for nearly 17 years, I can confidently say that most multilingual learners feel this way.

Why They Are Heroes

Heroes… because they constantly try to express who they are while keeping up with academic and social demands. 

Heroes… because they move to new countries, often ones where English isn’t the dominant language, yet they study in an English-medium school. 

Heroes… because they navigate dozens of different English accents daily and persist despite the struggle. 

Heroes… because they study complex academic subjects with heavy terminology—and they cope. 

Heroes… because they manage to maintain friendships, social circles, and even humour in another language. 

Heroes… because they do what many adults could not. 

Heroes… because they swim, not sink.

Why They Are Unsung

Unsung… because their English proficiency is often seen as a ‘problem to be solved’ rather than an asset to be developed. 

Unsung… because their success is often recognised only when they achieve something extraordinary, rather than in the daily triumphs of simply showing up and trying. 

Unsung… because I have seen ELL students passed over for opportunities- like presenting at events - because of their English level. 

Unsung… because rather than affirming their identities, they are often expected to simply ‘fit in’. 

Unsung… because small, simple classroom strategies that could change their experience are often overlooked. 

Unsung… because in some mainstream classrooms, they are not even ‘noticed’ - because they stay quiet. 

Unsung… because they have immense potential, yet they are sometimes seen as underperforming simply because they can’t express their knowledge in English fluently.

How Teachers Can Affirm, not Assimilate

As teachers, we have the power to make these students 'sung heroes' every day. Here are some strategies through the LEAVES approach:

Language Exposure: Provide Comprehensible Input → Slow down speech, use visuals, gestures, and scaffolds to support understanding. 

Acquisition: Create a Safe Space → Lower the Affective Filter by normalising mistakes, celebrate progress, and ensure students know that their voice matters. Language Acquisition accelerates when the learners are open to input. 

Validation: Affirm Home Languages and identities→ Encourage translanguaging, allow home language support, and highlight the value of multilingualism. 

Engagement: Foster Peer Support → Pair multilingual learners with patient and encouraging classmates to build confidence in interactions. 

Scaffolding: Provide structured sentence starters → Provide multilingual learners with sentence starters according to the language demands of the lesson. Gradually remove the support as students become more confident.

I have so much respect for my students and all multilingual learners navigating international schools. They are the unsung heroes of our classrooms. But it’s time we start singing their praises - not just when they reach fluency, but every step of the way. Their multilingualism is not a barrier; it is a superpower. It is our role as educators to ensure they feel valued, seen, and affirmed - never forced to assimilate.