Addressing Linguistic Complexity in Indian Classrooms: Strategies for multilingual instruction

• In Event: Rethinking Multilingual Education in Linguistically Diverse Situations in South Asia: What works? And what does not work?

Proposal

The critical role of language in education is well-recognized globally, especially in multilingual contexts where diverse linguistic needs must be addressed to ensure equitable learning outcomes. Language is the medium through which knowledge is transmitted, allowing individuals to interpret and make sense of the world. As Wolf (2007) aptly observes, "Language is not everything in education, but without language, everything is nothing." This insight becomes particularly relevant in the Indian context, where linguistic diversity creates both opportunities and challenges in educational settings.
Multilingualism is inherent in Indian society, with many individuals proficient in multiple languages, often using different scripts and dialects. This diversity reflects the broader sociolinguistic landscape of the country, and it is manifested in Indian classrooms. Here, teachers and students often engage in a dynamic process of negotiating meaning across different languages. As a result, classrooms become sites where multiple languages intersect, interact, and influence the process of learning.
However, this multilingualism also presents challenges, particularly when the language of instruction is different from the learners' home language. On one end of the linguistic continuum, some students may have home languages that closely resemble the instructional language, albeit with variations in oral and written forms. On the other end, there are classrooms where students come from entirely different language families, requiring more complex strategies for language instruction. To address these challenges, tailored pedagogical approaches are needed to ensure that all learners can fully participate in the learning process, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds.
A case study from Room to Read India highlights the practical implications of multilingual education in two linguistically diverse regions: Sirohi and Barwani. In these areas, a degree of lexical similarity between the local languages and the instructional language—Hindi—creates an environment of linguistic fluidity. Teachers are tasked with leveraging this fluidity to enhance literacy outcomes, especially in the primary grades. The initiative employed three key strategies to support children's literacy development: (1) an oral strand that acknowledges and encourages the use of the child’s home language, (2) systematized 'akshara' (alphabetic) instruction to build foundational literacy skills, and (3) the use of multilingual storybooks and conversation charts to promote engagement with both local languages and Hindi.
These materials allowed teachers to first introduce concepts in children's local languages, gradually scaffolding instruction to include both the local language and Hindi. This approach ensured that learners could navigate the literacy journey with confidence, utilizing their home language as a foundation while progressively incorporating the instructional language. This method has the potential to be adapted and applied in other multilingual settings, providing a model for inclusive education that values linguistic diversity as a resource rather than a barrier to learning.
This paper underscores the importance of recognizing and integrating multiple languages into the classroom to ensure that all learners, regardless of their linguistic background, have access to quality education. It offers important insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers interested in the intersection of language and learning, particularly in multilingual contexts.

Authors

• Stuti Jain, Room to Read

• Saktibrata Sen, Room to Read india