Through migration and mobility, societies are becoming more diverse. Schools and teachers must rapidly adapt to teach multilingual learners. However, in education research, language diversity is usually categorized simply as native versus non-native. Doing so assumes that all languages are equally similar or different. This project will overcome this oversimplification by establishing a new measure that accounts for gradual language similarities. We investigate how language similarities and differences affect learners' success in acquiring a new language and performance in subjects like mathematics. We examine large samples of students covering preschool to university age and collect new data on language learning from 4th graders in Finland and Germany. The findings will help educators and policymakers to better understand multilingual learners' educational attainment. We will provide teachers with evidence-based strategies to best support their students.

2023

2027