TEACHING MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Join Hudson Valley Writing Project teachers to gain new insights and powerful practices that give MLLs opportunities to use writing to make sense of what they are learning and gain language to express their ideas.

KEYNOTE SESSION for all participants: 

SWINGING PENDULUMS:

Revisiting Essential Questions in Multilingual Education

Beth Clark-Gareca, Associate Professor and Director of K-12 TESOL, Binghamton University

Language learning has always been a contested space in U.S. public schools; within our nation, the pendulum of collective understanding and acceptance of multilingualism has continued to swing between extremes. In our current era, the work of ENL teachers is often defined by atomistic acts of accountability - e.g., tracking minutes of service or monitoring credits toward graduation – which distract us from asking more profound questions such as: What do we want for language learners in our society? What are our goals toward helping immigrants navigate language in these times? In this talk, participants will explore these essential questions through writing, re-grounding, and re-centering the foundational principles of language learning. By taking time to think holistically, we will identify areas of caution and hope within our ever-shifting, multilingual teaching contexts.  

Beth Clark-Gareca is Associate Professor and Director of K-12 TESOL programs at Binghamton University, where she teaches in the master's and doctoral programs in the department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership. Most recently, she has served as an English language specialist in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and as a study abroad leader to Blantyre, Malawi, where she is exploring the required national English textbook and uncovering hidden (and not-so-hidden) curricula for young learners of English. Her current domestic scholarship relates to access and obstruction for K-12 English learners in high school to career and technical education, as well as the lived experiences of H1B and F2 visa holders living in the United States.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS:  

ENCOURAGING AUTHENTIC WRITING IN MLLs WITH TRANSLANGUAGING:

Identity and Identification

Danielle Gomez, Newburgh Free Academy

When acquiring a second language, native language use is often discouraged. However, native language is a resource that MLLs naturally possess and that can be used to increase comprehension, motivation, and engagement. In this workshop we will analyze the use of translanguaging as a pedagogical approach which honors beginner ELLs’ use of their native language. (Grades 4-12)

SCAFFOLDING INSTRUCTION IN SCIENCE FOR NEWCOMER MLLs

Rosemary Sharpe, New Paltz Middle School

Participants will explore a mini-unit bridging Stand Alone ENL and Science, focused on volcanoes. The unit includes building background knowledge, pre-teaching vocabulary, reading a modified article, and connecting students’ home cultures with scientific phenomena through a Mexican legend. (Grades 3-12)

VOCABULARY SQUARES:

Supporting Entering and Emerging MLLs with Reading and Writing

Monica Argentina, New Rochelle High School

Multilingual Learners (MLLs) often experience their greatest challenges with vocabulary, writing, and language production. This workshop introduces the Frayer Model vocabulary squares as a practical and supportive tool to deepen word knowledge and strengthen students’ reading and writing skills. Participants will explore how they can use this strategy to unlock and build language, confidence, and academic success across content areas for ELLs. (Grades 1-12)

USING FIRST PERSON NARRATION TO BUILD BACKGROUND SCHEME FOR MLLs LEARNING HISTORY

Anne Formato, Poughkeepsie Middle School

Multilingual learners often struggle with the writing process because they lack the background knowledge of historical events necessary for analysis. This workshop explores how using first person point of view within the writing process may help MLLs better understand and internalize historical events. (Grades 1-12)

DEC 6, 2025| 8:30am-12:00pm | LECTURE CENTER 104, SUNY New Paltz

HVWP is a NYSED-approved sponsor of CTLE.

Certificates documenting 3 CTLE hours available upon request.

Registration fees: $20 in advance / $25 at the door | $5 for college students 

The Hudson Valley Writing Project's 2025-26 Saturday Seminars are sponsored by

the School of Education and Campus Auxiliary Services at SUNY New Paltz.

HUDSON VALLEY WRITING PROJECT 

newpaltz.edu/hvwp | hvwp@newpaltz.edu | 845.257.2836