Newcomer multilingual learners (MLs) often experience significant barriers to oral participation in secondary classrooms, despite the central role of talk in language development, academic learning, and community belonging. Research indicates that while comprehension skills may continue to develop, opportunities for structured oral expression are frequently limited, particularly in teacher-led instructional settings. This article examines how intentional Structured Student Talk (SST) routines can support newcomer MLs in transitioning from classroom silence to meaningful participation. Drawing on interactionist theories of language development, cognitive load theory, and affective filter research, the article argues that oral language must be explicitly scaffolded within content instruction rather than treated as an auxiliary skill. This article presents SEL Check Ins and Connections activities as practical, classroom-tested approaches that lower anxiety, reduce cognitive demands, and create accessible entry points for student voice. Both strategies are modeled and analyzed for their potential to foster confidence, collaboration, and expressive language growth.
Author Bio
Matthew W. De Boer teaches biology and coaches Quiz Bowl at Holland High School. Matthew is passionate about scientific literacy, linguistics and language development, especially with the large population of newcomer ML students that take his class as their first high school science class. Matthew has seven years of experience teaching high school science. He holds a Bachelor’s in Integrated Science with an additional endorsement in Biology from Calvin University and is certified in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with a Master’s degree in Literacy from Grand Valley State University. He can be reached at mdeboer95@gmail.com.
Dr. Rui Niu-Cooper is a Professor, PI of U.S. Department of Education’s National Professional Development Grant, and the Director of the ESOL Certificate and ESL Endorsement Programs in the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) College of Education and Community Innovation. She is interested in English as a Second Language Teacher Education, English as a Foreign Language instruction, and higher education- school-community collaborations on effective ways to teach and engage students from diverse background. She can be reached at niucoope@gvsu.edu.
Recommended Citation
De Boer, Matthew W. and Niu-Cooper, Rui
(2026)
"From Talk to Science Literacy: Using Structured Student Talk to Support Newcomer Multilingual Learners in High School,"
Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 58:
Iss.
3, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol58/iss3/7
