Being a multilingual person myself, I think it is very important that we encourage students to access their mother tongue when they learn a new language since it helps them to earn easier. As a matter of fact, being multilingual, helps students to process several languages that helps their brain development. According to studies from Penn State University. students’ cognitive ability increases due to bilingualism. Language and literacy are interdependent. Literacy is the ability to use the language. This is something to keep in mind and focus on all students regardless their linguistic background.
