Episode 12 Literacy Listens: Supporting Multilingual Learners Through Listening Comprehension
Literacy Listens
In this episode of Literacy Listens, Amber and Brian examine how listening comprehension supports multilingual learners as they develop language and literacy skills. They discuss why listening is a critical entry point for language development and how skills transfer across languages.
The episode emphasizes strengths multilingual learners bring to comprehension and the importance of intentional supports.
Key Takeaways
Listening comprehension is foundational for multilingual learners acquiring English.
Listening typically develops before speaking and provides access to rich language input.
Many language and comprehension skills transfer across languages.
Multilingual learners often demonstrate strong perspective taking and cognitive flexibility.
Intentional scaffolds help multilingual learners engage with complex oral language.
What’s Next
In the final episode of the series, Amber and Brian explore why listening comprehension instruction must be multicomponent and how skills work together in coordinated ways.
Episode Resources
Website: https://www.listeningcomprehension.org
Organization: Read Charlotte https://www.readcharlotte.org
Production Notes
Voices are AI generated
Script developed with AI technology support
Content reflects research curated by Read Charlotte
References
August, D., & Shanahan, T. (2006). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Calderón, M. (2011). Teaching reading and comprehension to English learners, K–5. Corwin.
Grøver, V. (2019). Oral language comprehension in multilingual children. Child Development Perspectives.
Stephen Krashen. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Mancilla-Martinez, J. (2020). Language and reading comprehension in bilingual learners. Reading Research Quarterly.
Young-Suk Grace Kim, Crosson, A. C., & Hwang, H. (2022). Language and reading development in multilingual learners. Journal of Learning Disabilities.
WIDA. (2020). English language development standards framework. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.