Summary: Yes, and often sooner than you’d expect. Children don’t need to already speak English or French to take part, make friends and start learning from day one. At Haut-Lac we treat every language a child brings as a strength, not something to leave at the door. They’re encouraged to use all their languages as tools for thinking, while the whole school pulls together to support them. Language here isn’t a subject to master one day; it’s how children belong and find their voice right now.
There is something extraordinary about working in a multilingual environment like Haut-Lac International Bilingual School.
Our corridors echo with French, English, German, Mandarin, Urdu, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Macedonian and more. Our displays do more than decorate walls, they honour identity. Our classrooms do more than teach English or French, they amplify student voice.
Language as Communication Power
In the language support classrooms (EAL/FLA) at Haut-Lac, English and French are more than just school subjects. They are two of the many languages students use every day to make friends, share ideas, and take part in school life.
Language enables students to:
- build friendships
- lead discussions
- question and challenge ideas
- collaborate across cultures
- advocate for themselves
- mentor younger learners
Of course, multilingualism opens professional doors later in life. But at Haut-Lac, language is first and foremost about belonging, participation and influence right now.
Our students are not only preparing to use language someday. They use it every day for many different purposes. Think about the language you use at home with your children, in a restaurant, during a job interview, or when giving a presentation to colleagues.
In the same way, our students are learning how to use language differently depending on the situation, the audience, and what they want to communicate.
Translanguaging in Action
In our classrooms, students are encouraged to use all the languages they know as learning tools. This approach, often called translanguaging, allows students to think deeply and express ideas more confidently.
For example, students might:
- Brainstorm ideas in their home language before writing in English
- Compare vocabulary across different languages to understand meaning more clearly
- Annotate texts in two languages
- Explain complex ideas to a classmate using their strongest language
- Teach classmates words or expressions from home
When students draw on their full linguistic repertoire, their thinking becomes more precise, more creative and more connected. Rather than limiting language use, we expand it.
A Culture of Collaboration
Supporting multilingual learners is not the responsibility of a single teacher or classroom.
At Haut-Lac, language development is a shared effort across the school. Classroom teachers regularly integrate language objectives into their lessons so that students learn both content and the language needed to discuss it.
For example, a science lesson might include sentence starters such as “I predict that…”, or “The evidence shows…”, to help students practise academic language while discussing experiments.
Displays across the school highlight the many languages spoken by our community, and students often see their home languages represented in projects, presentations and classroom materials.
Teachers also collaborate closely to share strategies that support multilingual learners, so that students receive consistent support across subjects.
Language learning becomes visible everywhere at school, not only in EAL lessons.
Older Students as Language Role Models
Working with older multilingual students at Haut-Lac is a privilege. They understand the journey. They remember what it felt like to search for words, hesitate before speaking, or translate ideas internally.
They also recognise how far they have come.
Now they lead discussions. They present confidently in assemblies. They debate thoughtfully. They mentor younger learners who are earlier in their language journey.
They show what is possible when multilingualism is nurtured in an environment that values all languages.
Creativity, Confidence and Community
At Haut-Lac, language learning is deeply connected to creativity and real-world experiences.
Students develop their language skills through activities such as:
- drama and performance
- Reader’s Theatre (a structured reading performance where students practise fluency and expression together)
- student podcasts
- visual art projects
- collaborative problem-solving tasks
- practical experiences such as cooking
Language flourishes when it is used for meaningful purposes. Creativity builds confidence. Collaboration builds fluency. Belonging builds voice.
Our students rise to these opportunities with curiosity and resilience.
A Simple Belief
At the heart of how I teach EAL at Haut-Lac is a simple belief:
Multilingualism strengthens thinking, identity and community. And here at Haut-Lac, it is celebrated fully, proudly and collectively.
Megan Selby, MEd
EAL Teacher
Literacy & Language Education Specialist
Advocate for Multilingual Learning
