Multilingual Programs
Welcome! The Tukwila School District is delighted to offer a wide range of multilingual programs for its 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.
