Lost in Translation: When Help Becomes a Hindrance.

At the end of the school year, I was supporting a science teacher who had a newcomer in her classroom — a student, she explained, who “didn’t speak a lick of English.” She wanted to know the best way to support her. After a few questions, it turned out this student had actually been in the U.S. since the beginning of the year, had a well-developed L1 (Spanish — which, notably, shares many linguistic components with English), but still wasn’t vocalizing in the language of instruction.

When I entered the room, I quickly spotted who she meant. The student sat at a lab table up front, alongside a boy who was happily translating every word for her. My task that day was to model how to engage students — including newcomers — in structured conversation. But as I got started, I noticed that everything I said was being auto-translated onto the screen via some app or extension, alongside the conversation frame I’d prepared.

“Would you mind turning the translation off?” I asked the teacher.

This isn’t an unusual request for me. I often find myself requesting a pause in translation from  paraprofessionals or even other students in classrooms.

“Before you translate, ask if they understand first.” Or: “Let’s give her a chance to listen and see what she can pick up.”

I do this because I’m about to give students loads of comprehensible input — language paired with context, visuals, gestures, and clear scaffolds for low-stress output. That might sound like something as simple as a sentence stem: ‘One good thing is…’ and practicing it together.

When I explain this to people outside the field, their faces can sometimes reflect horror. “How could you? Seventh grade science is overwhelming even for English speakers!” Paradoxically, I actually share their concern. At the same time that I ask for a pause in translation, my skin crawls when I hear an adult admonish students: “Speak English!” when they hear them using their heritage language to make meaning.

So where’s the line?

It’s a question I am often asked in my consulting work: When should we use translation?

Here’s my answer: Use translation as a tool — until it becomes a crutch.

The challenge, of course, is recognizing the difference. 

When to Use Translation (and When Not To)
So — when should we use translation?
Here’s what I encourage teachers to keep in mind when working with newcomer students:

1️⃣ When You First Meet a Newcomer: If a student has been in the U.S. for less than three years and is still developing their language production, welcome them in their home language. Even if your accent is rough, the effort communicates something powerful: Your language and culture belong here.

Use an app if you need to. This lets students breathe a sigh of relief that you’re not expecting them to perform in English before they’re ready. Keep translation going as you build connections:

“What do you like to do? Do you have any brothers, sisters, or pets? I have two cats — see, here’s a picture of them.”

It’s a simple, human gesture that lowers the affective filter and invites relationship.

2️⃣ To Build Background Knowledge: Use translation intentionally to prepare students for what’s coming, or to help them process it afterward.

I once had a newcomer with strong literacy in Mandarin. Before her science class began a unit on body systems, I assigned her a YouTube video in Mandarin covering the topic (after previewing and vetting it myself). Then, she could re-watch the English version in class with translation turned on afterward to reinforce understanding.

This can also look like a pre-read or post-read of a text in their home language. I love Dr. Salva’s example of a student named Uri who did this on his own — imagine if his teachers had helped make that possible. - Dr. Salva's Video on Rapid Literacy -

3️⃣ To Allow Students to Show What They Know: Another powerful strategy is reverse translation. Instead of always translating input for the student, invite them to express their understanding in their home language, and then you use a tool like Google Translate or Google Lens to check comprehension.
For example:

• Have the student summarize a simplified text in their language off to the side.
• Use a voice translation app during a check for understanding.

Why? Because expressive language (speaking and writing) may develop after receptive language (listening and reading).

In that same 7th grade science class I referenced in the beginning, when the teacher asked students to take out a pencil, the newcomer did it instantly. She understood far more than anyone assumed.

General Guideline:
These aren’t the only times translation is appropriate, and thankfully, tools like Dr. Merica Clinkenbeard’s translation flowchart offers helpful frameworks for decision-making. - Flow Chart on Padlet - 

It’s a Dance. Ultimately, using translation with multilingual learners isn’t a formula — it’s a dance. One where we read students’ cues, sometimes misstep, and adjust. The point is this: language learning isn’t something students experience in isolation, through AI and apps. It’s a collaborative, human process.

We need to give students moments of productive struggle, balanced with support — and always with the message that bilingualism isn’t a barrier to overcome, but a superpower to celebrate.