Using Our Home Languages Respectfully in Class: A Quick Lesson for ELLs
If you’re an ELL teacher like me, you’ve probably run into this problem more than once:
I love hearing my students use their home languages. It’s a beautiful sign that they feel comfortable in my classroom. But sometimes, that comfort crosses the line. Instead of whispering to a partner to make sense of a tricky text, they’re chatting loudly over my direct instruction. Instead of translating a new vocabulary word, they’re giggling in another language about something completely off-topic. And yes—sometimes they even use inappropriate language, thinking I won’t catch it because I don’t speak their first language.
Disclaimer: In this blog, the terms ESL students (English as a Second Language), ELLs (English Language Learners), and ML (Multilingual Learners) are used interchangeably. While “Multilingual Learners” is becoming the more widely accepted term, “ESL students” and “English Language Learners” are still commonly used in various contexts. My aim is to be inclusive and clear to all readers, regardless of the terminology they are familiar with.
Here’s the truth: no good instruction happens when students are off-task, talking, or misbehaving. As much as I want my students to feel safe and connected, they need to understand that home languages in school are a tool for learning, not a tool for distraction.
And it turns out, this isn’t just a “me” problem—it’s a teaching problem. Research has shown for decades that no instruction sticks until the classroom is managed. Hans and Emmanuel (2017) call classroom management the “prerequisite for effective teaching.” In other words, before we can teach content, we have to teach behavior.
So, I realized I needed a simple, clear way to teach (and reteach, all year long) the difference between acceptable and not acceptable uses of our home language. And that’s when I designed this short, powerful lesson.
Studies across many classrooms echo the same finding: when expectations are clear, students thrive. A 2020 review in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education found that teachers who invest time upfront in routines, rules, and shared expectations gain more instructional time later and see higher engagement. Check out this blog post about my favorite ESL morning routine.
That’s exactly what this quick lesson does—it sets clear expectations about when and how to use home language as a learning tool. Grab this Free Lesson here!
Starting the Conversation in you ELL classroom
I begin the lesson with a quick discussion to hook students in. I ask them: “Why do we sometimes use our home language in class?”
At first, I get answers like “to understand better” or “to ask a friend,” but I also hear “to tell a joke” or “because it’s easier.” I write all their answers on the board, even the silly ones, because it shows them that I value their honesty. Then I pause and say something like:
“Using your home language can absolutely help you learn—but sometimes it can also distract from learning. Today we’re going to figure out the difference together.”
That framing immediately puts the responsibility on them, not just me.
These conversations are powerful because they prevent problems before they happen. The NSW Education review on classroom management found that proactive, preventive strategies—like explicitly teaching routines—are more effective than reacting to misbehavior later. That’s exactly what this lesson models.
Making the Distinction
Next, I tell them exactly what we’re learning that day: how to tell the difference between when home language helps us and when it hurts us. I explain that we’ll practice using some special sentence starters like:
- “This is acceptable because it helps me…”
- “This is not acceptable because it distracts…”
Then comes the hands-on part. I divide students into pairs or small groups and give them a set of scenario cards. Some scenarios show students using their home language in helpful ways—like whispering to a partner to clarify vocabulary. Others show off-task or disruptive uses, like chatting loudly while the teacher is giving instructions. Their job is to sort the cards into two groups: Acceptable and Not Acceptable.
At first, students often disagree with each other. That’s exactly what I want, because the real learning happens in the conversations. I walk around listening, prompting them to explain their choices with the sentence starters. This is where they start internalizing the idea that home language isn’t “bad”—but it must be used with purpose.
Coming Back Together
Once groups have finished, we come back as a whole class. I have them place their cards on a big chart at the front of the room: one side for Acceptable, one side for Not Acceptable. We look at each pile together and talk about it. Sometimes students will challenge a card and say, “Well, it depends.” That’s when I step in to guide: Yes, it depends—but does it help us learn in that moment, or does it pull us away from learning?
By the end, the chart becomes a visual anchor. I leave it up on the wall so we can revisit it throughout the year when the lines start to blur again.
Wrapping Up With Reflection
Finally, I ask each student to share one example of acceptable use and one example of not acceptable use. Some write it down, some share out loud. I love hearing things like:
“One acceptable use is asking my friend what a word means in Spanish.”
“One not acceptable use is talking in my language about soccer while the teacher is teaching.”
That moment of reflection locks the lesson in and makes them accountable for their own behavior moving forward.
What I love about this lesson is that it shifts the responsibility off of me constantly policing language use and instead gives students ownership. It’s not about shutting down their home languages—it’s about teaching them how to use those languages as powerful academic tools. And once they understand the difference, I can simply point back to the chart when issues arise. It’s a reset button I can use all year.
I’ve seen how this simple lesson changes the tone of my class. And it lines up with what studies show: when classrooms are managed well, teachers spend less time correcting and more time teaching. A 2023 Frontiers in Education review even found that positive management strategies boost motivation, relationships, and learning outcomes.
If you want to try this with your own students, I put together everything you need: scenario cards, sentence starters, visuals, and even the lesson plan. Just grab the free lesson plan and post the chart on your word wall.
👉 Download the Free Lesson Plan: Using Our Home Languages Respectfully in Class
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