A meaningful way to maximize multilingual engagement in the classroom is to let multilingual students share their experiences. It is also essential to share the research and educate the students on different parts of the world so that they do not carry the stereotypes and biases with them for the rest of their lives. For example, when I was young adults used to say to me, “eat your food children are starving in Africa.” Growing up, I believed that all the children in Africa were starving. A lot of media also only portrays all the negative situations happening in other countries, which makes people in the world either not like that place, feel sorry for that place, or respect that area more. So, to eliminate all these students going with these beliefs for the rest of their lives, educating and allowing multilingual students to speak about their experiences if they feel comfortable is essential.
Focusing on different languages and cultures is an excellent way to implement them in the classroom. Whether that be talking about languages, traditions, holidays, etc., it is important for children to get a sense of understanding, so they do not become ignorant of what is around them. This could include projects, posters, or books sharing about different cultures. These ways can make students feel safer and more welcoming in the classroom environment and might even make them feel more inclined to engage about the topics in the classroom.