10 Science Experiments for Multilingual Learners
Are you looking for specific science experiments you can use with multilingual learners? Here are our top 10 activities created specifically for English language learners.
Are you looking for specific science experiments you can use with multilingual learners? Here are our top 10 activities created specifically for English language learners.
Imagine a classroom where learning English isn’t just about memorizing grammar rules or repeating endless vocabulary lists. Teaching English through the eyes and context of Science is an intriguing and engaging way to support multilingual learners in and outside of the classroom.
Science is hands-on, ignites curiosity, solves mysteries, and in context – is all around us in everything we do. Therefore, it makes for a great subject to teach English because everyone can relate in some way.
Science offers students an electrifying gateway to English because it blends the thrill of discovery with the power of words. From decoding DNA secrets to debating the ethics of space travel, Science invites learners to dive into honest, riveting conversations and texts that make English come alive.
Because Science is universal – it’s not just a subject; it’s a story-driven adventure that can hook young minds, spark curiosity, and build confidence. The topic proves that language isn’t a barrier – it’s a bridge to learning everything around us.
When you can connect a student’s real life to the outside world, it makes learning a new language fun and engaging. Acquiring and practicing English becomes more straightforward when students have nature at their fingertips – and they can touch, see, smell, and easily engage with the ecosystem around them.
Scientific topics can introduce social (BICS) and academic language (CALP) because students can work together in a group setting, increasing their chances of growth in grasping both types of language.
BICS (Basic interpersonal communication skills) refers to conversational fluency – the ability to talk about objects or experiences in face-to-face and familiar contexts. BICS is associated with social and conversational language acquisition. CALP (Cognitive academic language proficiency) is the oral, written, and academic language multilingual students acquire in English.
Below is a video example of a teacher working with a multilingual student. In this video, she briefly shows the difference between BICS and CALP.
Also, Science encourages critical thinking skills, speaking, writing, and provides the environment for ongoing communication as students discuss hypotheses, make predictions, and explain results. Collaborative group work further strengthens their speaking and listening skills by sharing ideas, debating findings, and working together on scientific inquiries.
When students enjoy learning, they can see that education is not meant solely to focus on their English skills; it’s about using those skills to see and explain how the world works around them. Learning in this manner makes it more meaningful, rewarding, and motivating.
Whether your multilingual students are dissecting a frog or mixing chemicals, anything is more exciting than grammar drills (although those have their place too)—and that engagement keeps them invested in learning English.
Finally, Science is a universal topic. A student can read about a discovery in other languages from anywhere in the world and connect the language to something bigger than just a classroom assignment.
Since you can do many activities with Science and your multilingual students, below are some science experiments explicitly designed for multilingual learners, ensuring they’re fun, educational, and language-rich.
The chemical reaction creates a foamy “volcano” eruption. Encourage students to describe what they see and predict what will happen next, using phrases such as the following: “It’s bubbling!” or “The color is changing!”
Discuss surface tension and have students explain their observations in English, such as “The paperclip floats because of the water’s surface tension.”
As they work, teach them to describe the texture (“It’s sticky!”) and ask open-ended questions such as, “What happens if we add more water?”
This activity encourages collaboration and using English to plan and explain their designs, such as “We used straws to cushion the egg.”
Use this to practice for storytelling and scientific explanations. For example, you can start with, “The heat makes the lemon juice turn brown, can you tell me why?”
Below is a video example of a chemist sharing how to create Invisible Ink with lemon juice. You can use simple videos like this one to encourage both social and academic language learning – along with acquiring new vocabulary words.
Over the days, students observe the water cycle in action. Have them narrate the process in English with a peer or in a group presentation. Encourage students to use transition words for their stories. An example sentence to start of stories such as, “First, the water evaporates, then it condenses.”
As they race their car creations, they can practice their vocabulary words describing speed and motion such as, “My car is faster than yours!”
Encourage students to explain what happens when they rub the comb with the wool in a verbal or written assignment.
Over days, crystals will form. Students can practice predicting and observing using phrases such as, “The crystals will grow bigger tomorrow.”
Discuss why some liquids flow, and others sink, using English to compare. For example, start off with a question, “Honey is heavier than water, and how do you think that happens?”