Multilingual Programs
Welcome! The Tukwila School District is delighted to offer a wide range of multilingual programs for its students, and more are coming in the Fall of 2022. In the videos below, Stephanie Chen and Aracelis Urbina provide you with a short overview of programs for multilingual students. We welcome linguistic and cultural diversity in Tukwila, and we aim to offer programs that will meet the needs of Tukwila students by making them the center of academic and social endeavors.
Who Are Multilingual Students?
Multilingual students are learning the language of instruction, and at the same time, they are meeting the challenges of academic content. In contrast to the traditional term English Language Learners, the term “multilingual students” is more inclusive and broad and better acknowledges that students are growing in two or more languages, rather than just focusing just on English language development.
Program Goals
In addition to just providing language development options other than in English, the MLL Programming in Tukwila School District is intended to amplify cultural and linguistic diversity. By honoring multiple languages, especially those spoken in the community, we intend to lift up the identities of those often marginalized from academic systems and place them center in all that Tukwila does to support students academically and socially. The ultimate goal is for students to retain their home languages while learning English. This is in contrast to traditional models in which English often is made the primary language, and the student loses their home language.
Celebrating Success!
Tukwila School District believes in celebrating the success of its students. Nine 8th Graders earned high school credit this year by taking the World Language Assessment. These credits will be applied to their high school transcripts. A big congratulations to them!
