Spokesperson : Madhavi Goswami, Principal, Cambridge School, Srinivaspuri
The rapid globalization of our world has made multilingual abilities essential for everyone—no longer a privilege, but a necessity. In India, multilingualism is not merely an advantage but a daily reality, deeply woven into the fabric of our diverse cultural and linguistic landscape.
In preparing students for a global future, the journey must begin at the grassroots level. And where better to begin than in our classrooms, the spaces where foundational learning and identity-building occur. The effective execution of multilingualism in these learning spaces holds significant importance.
The importance of multilingualism
Languages serve as more than just tools for communication. They are vehicles for the transmission of culture, expressions of identity, and frameworks for thought. When children are exposed to and learn multiple languages, they don’t just expand their vocabulary—they expand their ways of seeing and understanding the world.
Recognizing this, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes a three-language formula, which recommends that every child learn:
- One language from their local context (ideally the mother tongue)
- One modern Indian language from a region outside their own
- One foreign language that can serve as a gateway to global engagement
This structure is both inclusive and progressive. It seeks to foster national integration while equipping learners with the linguistic tools they need to thrive in a globally interconnected world.The gocal formula: Rooting education in the local
To unlock the full benefits of multilingualism, we must begin with a strong and familiar base. The so-called ‘Gocal formula’ encapsulates this principle. It emphasizes that education is most effective when it starts in a language the child understands deeply—most often, the language spoken at home.
A child’s first language—the one they hear and speak in daily life—forms the basis of their early thinking. It is through this language that they first name the world, express needs, and build trust. Therefore, multilingualism should not replace this first language but expand upon it, adding new layers of understanding while supporting early learning and self-confidence.
If children are not first enabled to think clearly and confidently in a language they comprehend, how can we reasonably expect them to flourish when introduced to newer and less familiar linguistic contexts?
The hidden burden: Language load
While the benefits of multilingualism are significant, it is equally important to acknowledge an often overlooked challenge: the cognitive burden, or language load, placed on young learners.
In many urban schools—particularly those with English-dominant instruction—children are expected to engage simultaneously with multiple languages: their mother tongue at home, the regional language spoken in the local community, and English or another global language used in school.
What makes this more complex is that children are not just speaking these languages—they are required to read, write, and be formally assessed in all of them. For a child, managing this linguistic juggling act can become overwhelming.
This raises an essential question: How many languages can a child realistically and effectively learn without risking confusion, reduced comprehension, or academic stress?
There is no single answer. The optimal number of languages a child can handle depends on the child’s environment, learning capacity, and the educational scaffolding provided by parents and schools.
Home matters: Language as cultural inheritance
Another key consideration in this conversation is the role of the home language—the language that children grow up speaking with their families. Often linked to ancestral traditions, rituals, and family stories, this language forms a vital part of a child’s identity and emotional world.
When educational settings neglect or downplay the home language, children may begin to feel disconnected from their own heritage. They may experience a subtle sense of alienation.
That is why it is imperative that any multilingual model actively support and preserve the home language, at least during the early years of schooling. The home language should be seen not as an obstacle but as an asset—one that enriches the learning process and connects children more deeply to their roots.
Finding the balance: Towards an introspective multilingual approach
As educators and policymakers, we are tasked with maintaining a delicate balance. Our responsibility is to nurture a form of multilingualism that serves as a bridge—not a burden—for learners.
Some strategies that can help achieve this balance include:
- Building a strong foundation in the child’s first language before introducing formal instruction in second or third languages
- Integrating local stories, songs, and cultural references into the curriculum to ensure the mother tongue remains relevant
- Offering flexibility in language pairings to reflect the region’s linguistic landscape and meet the needs of diverse student populations
- Encouraging reading for pleasure in all three languages, especially through fiction, plays, and oral narratives
But above all, we must remain attentive to the learners themselves. We need to observe how children express themselves, how they interact with each language, and how confident they appear in multilingual settings. Their confidence and comfort are the greatest measures of whether or not we are doing it right.
How this bridge begins in the classroom
The classroom is not just a place of instruction—it is a space where identities are formed and connections begin. It is here that the bridge between the local and the global first begins to take shape.
This bridge is built:
- When a teacher greets a child in their native language, showing respect for their background
- When a local poem is read aloud with the same enthusiasm as a story from English literature
- When the classroom walls reflect linguistic diversity—through multilingual posters, labels, and artwork
- When students are encouraged to shift between languages, to reflect, translate, and find meaning in difference
- When language isn’t separated as a subject, but woven into every aspect of learning
A classroom that celebrates linguistic diversity does more than produce students fluent in multiple languages—it cultivates empathetic, flexible, and culturally- sensitive citizens.
And when this multilingual bridge is constructed with care, our children step into the world rooted in who they are, yet fully prepared to soar high.
