Best practices are intended to support multilingual learners (MLs) in all classes, no matter their proficiency level. These strategies are expected to be used by all teachers within lessons, assignments, and assessments to support MLs and all learners. Best practices are strategies that educators can quickly implement within daily instruction, activities, and classroom assessments.

Description

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. In everyday usage, the term "motivation" is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions.

Positive reinforcement is a type of behavior management that focuses on rewarding what is done well by students. For MLs, providing positive reinforcement accelerates language development as it lowers the affective filter*. 

A 'Can Do Attitude' is guided by the WIDA  Can Do Philosophy which believes that linguistically and culturally diverse learners bring unique assets that enrich their learning. By encouraging Can Do Attitude, teachers of MLs help them understand the process of language acquisition. 

*The “affective filter” is a term made popular by Stephen Krashen, a famous American researcher on language acquisition, during the 1980s. It is an attempt to describe how a student's attitudes or emotional variables can impact the success of learning a new language.

Examples:

• be enthusiastic- excitement ignites student learning because they know you care
• build positive relationships 
• reciprocal teaching & learning
• (when given choices, students are more likely to be motivated)
• ABCs of Motivating ELLs by Lora Beth Escalante (2018):
  • Amplifying Language Development
  • Bridging Content Connections
  • Cultivating Relationships
  • goal- setting and conferencing with MLs about their language development progress
• be mindful of the pressure students may feel to succeed with a lack of understanding of how to succeed 
• lower the affective filter*, and access prior knowledge; seek to make a connection to something that is personal to the student
• allow students to create personal profiles, photographs in native language and illustrations to tell who they are.

	Teacher	Student
	The teacher sets the stage for motivation by initiating a lesson instilled with inquiry.	“Teacher, what is in the bag on your desk?”  “Why are you wearing a white lab coat?  “Why are all of the desks covered with different colors of paper?”

	Teacher	Student
	"What are some things that get you excited?" "Share a time you were motivated to do something."	"I enjoy_____ because it makes me____."

Recommended Domain(s)	Recommended Level(s)
Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing	All levels