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Creating Cross-Linguistic Connections to Strengthen Biliteracy

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Discover how fostering cross-linguistic connections in the classroom enhances biliteracy, boosts metalinguistic awareness, nurtures multicultural identities, and supports Multilingual Learners in becoming confident readers, writers, and thinkers.
Two young children sit at a table, each exploring different books, as one points to a word the other is reading.

In today’s classrooms, dual-language programs leverage the linguistic diversity students bring, transforming it into a powerful asset that enriches learning and supports academic success across languages. Supporting biliteracy isn’t just about teaching two languages—it’s about helping students make intentional connections between them. By identifying cross-linguistic connections, you can foster your students’ metalinguistic awareness, helping them reflect on and analyze language as a dynamic system. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, you can create meaningful connections in the classroom based on what your students already know to deepen their literacy learning. 

Why Language Connections Matter for Biliteracy 

Multilingual Learners don’t compartmentalize languages—they draw on their full linguistic repertoire to make sense of the world. Explicitly teaching cross-linguistic connections:

  • Boosts background knowledge and vocabulary, which are key components in reading comprehension
  • Validates students’ identities, promoting pride in their bilingualism 
  • Accelerates metalinguistic awareness, helping students analyze linguistic structure and concepts about how language works

This instructional approach isn’t an add-on—it’s a powerful tool within dual-language education that helps to foster bilingualism and biliteracy.  

Supporting Cross-Linguistic Connections 

Purposeful cross-linguistic guidance can help students deepen their understanding of language without requiring major changes to your curriculum. Grounded in key linguistic concepts—phonetics, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics—this type of instruction offers: 
  • Flexibility: Adaptable to any biliteracy model, Multilingual Learners, or general education settings 
  • Efficiency: Can be integrated into existing lessons in as little as 15 minutes 
  • Student Agency: Encourages learners to compare languages, spot patterns, and reflect on their linguistic choices 

A Day in the Classroom: Plural Forms in Action 

Noticing when students are beginning to make connections about language similarities and differences helps you figure out the right time to teach transfer skills and which ones to focus on. For example, picture a first grade class writing about their favorite activities. When students struggle with irregular plurals like feet, you might plan a cross-linguistic lesson that includes: 
  • Revisit and Connect: Revisit the target skill in the language of instruction that will serve as the foundation for cross-linguistic transfer
  • Facilitate Collaborative Key Content Connections: Encourage student participation in identifying essential keywords, phrases, or sentences in the language of instruction that capture key concepts, including making an anchor chart to compare English (foot/feet) and Spanish (pie/pies) plural rules
  • Engage and Apply: Using contrastive analysis, you will encourage students to discuss and reflect on the similarities and differences between the two languages, focusing on the language into which key lesson elements are being transferred

This results in deeper understanding, stronger writing, and a classroom culture that values linguistic variety. 

Four Tips to Start Building Cross-Linguistic Connections Today 

Here are some tips for getting started:
  1. Start Small: Focus on one language concept per cross-linguistic lesson (e.g., grammar, sentence structure, verb tenses).
  2. Anchor Charts: Create an anchor chart during the lesson with the students.
  3. Visualize Differences: Use color-coded charts to differentiate the languages and make the chart a practical and engaging classroom resource.
  4. Leverage “Aha!” Moments: As students make spontaneous decisions and observations about their language use during instruction, reinforce the connections that they made organically in the moment.

Biliteracy as a Superpower 

When students see their entire linguistic repertoires recognized and valued, their bilingual identity is validated and they can bring their full cultural selves to the learning process. Integrating meaningful language connections into everyday instruction not only strengthens literacy skills but also affirms students’ identities as confident Multilingual Learners.

Ready to Begin?  

Try a 15-minute cross-linguistic lesson. Begin by considering the foundational skills and standards that your students need. Then consider the language structures, skills, or content that will support cross-linguistic transfer of that skill. Next, connect instructional goals with essential linguistic features, and engage students in making meaningful comparisons between languages. Through collaborative activities like anchor charts and linking questions, students will build metalinguistic awareness and apply their understanding across both program languages. Small steps can lead to big breakthroughs!

Want to learn more about biliteracy instruction? Visit Mosaico: Fundamentos por i-Ready.

Other Recommended Resources in Our Literacy Blog Library: 
Dual-Language Classrooms: Bridging Content and Academic Language 
Where Do We Go from Here? Responding to the NAEP Reading Scores 
Navigating Knowledge Building with Quad Text Sets

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