Reframing Multilingual Learners’ Experience: The Emotional Labor of Learning English

Brandy Nicole Walker, Brandy Was Here, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Her name is Megan and she’s failing all her classes.

She is fidgety during our first meeting, looking around, shifting in her seat. There’s an angst in the air that says “I don’t want to be here but please help me if you can” She leans off camera to say something to a friend in Tagalong. She returns and stares at the screen, careful not to make eye contact. “Miss. Miss. I have homework? She doesn’t know who I am, but I know many students like her. I’ve taught them before, sitting across the screen or a desk, quiet but desperate to be understood.

Megan is part of the 9.8% of English Learners in the Hawaii public schools, a number that looks small on paper but feels heavy in real life. Behind that statistic are students like her, navigating classrooms that move too fast, lessons that assume too much, and systems that rarely pause long enough to listen.

Whereas one might see being multilingual as a gift, for Megan, it is a burden she regularly wishes to escape.

English has become a wall she keeps running into. Every quiz, every reading passage, every class discussion feels like proof that she’s not enough. She gets quiet when she doesn’t understand, and when she finally speaks, her words are full of anger and frustration as if she’s screaming for help and no one hears her.

Initially Megan was excited for the big move to Hawai’i and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family who had made the tradition ahead of her. Academically she did not expect or anticipate any issues as she has always been an A student who loved learning. In her mostly Filipino neighborhood, there are families of varying education and socio-economic status. The commonality: the language. But outside of that comfort zone and in school Megan feels lost, confused and in her words, “stupid”. Most days she expresses feeling sad and her teachers describe her as withdrawn and quiet. But that’s not the whole story.

For many ESL students, the culture shock of being in a new environment with new rules can be difficult to adjust to. The social isolation that many experience can lead to depression (The Century Foundation, 2025). Though Megan has friends she doesn’t have the confidence to move comfortably through this new world.

Since the pandemic there has been an increase in anxiety and depression especially for youth ages 12-17. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 youth had been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition in 2022 and that number is steadily increasing. This is coupled with a nearly 40% increase of families living in poverty which not only impacts the physical health of individuals but their mental health and sense of safety as well (CDC, 2022).

Post-pandemic educators and institutions alike are seeing students ina different light. They are less social or do not display traditional social skills. Students tend to be more isolated, less talkative and more anxious (The Century Foundation, 2025). This further puts students like Megan at a disadvantage who depend on social interactions to develop language skills. Though positioned as a support, it probably doesn’t help that she is working with me, a virtual tutor.

ESL teachers have been asking for more mental health counselors and professionals in the building, but budget cuts and a lack of understanding have met those requests with a resounding no.

“We end up being counselors as well as teachers,” said Seattle public school teacher Ann Ioannides (Najarro & Harwin, Edweek July 2025).

Referring students to a counselor doesn’t always help. Many counselors and administrators aren’t trained to support multilingual students, and they rarely see the challenges that happen inside the classroom. Because of this, the workload of ESL teachers stretches far beyond instruction. It is more than teaching and differentiated lessons, it is also emotional support, translation, being a parent or family advocate, a liaison between families and resources (Najarro & Harwin, Edweek July 2025).

And no, they’re not paid extra for it. Most see it as part of the job, but for others, the weight of it all becomes too much, enough to make them leave the profession altogether.

Some school districts, like Chicago Public Schools, have rallied in support of English Language Learners and those who support them by creating a program called STRONG (Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups) in response to an 11% increase in their ESL population (The Century Foundation, 2025). The program provides wraparound support for ELLs including but not limited to including academic tutoring, counseling, translation, and family engagement support..

Other states like Texas and Maryland have similar programs to address the variety of needs facing this population as well. This takes some of the pressure off teachers to be all things to their students and to be able to focus on instruction.

However, students like Megan may feel most comfortable with one trusted adult as opposed to a network of professionals. Frontiers in Education recently published an article that discussed the impact and importance of teacher student relationships (TSRs) and the nature of teachers as attachment-like figures.

For disadvantaged students, TSRs offer unique opportunities for inclusion. Vulnerable populations often face additional barriers to academic success, including limited access to resources, social exclusion and emotional distress. Positive TSRs can play a critical role in mitigating these challenges by providing emotional support, fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing student engagement…..Negative teacher-student relationships (TSR) are associated with lower academic results including disengagement and underachievement. Being a safe haven refer;s to the teacher’s ability to regulate a student’s complex emotions, offering comfort and security. Secure base responses involve supporting a student's autonomy, encouraging exploration, and providing praise for achievements.(Lisio, Roa et al, 2025)

I can tell Megan sees me as a trusted adult. I don’t think she has that at school, or at least she hasn’t found it yet. During our sessions, she shares what she can: her day, what’s hard, what’s working, her frustrations and her fears. In class, she doesn’t talk much. Sometimes the teacher lectures straight through, leaving no space for her voice. Other times, it’s the fear of being wrong that keeps her quiet. Our one-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays have become one of the few spaces where she can speak freely; in broken English, yes, but with correction and without judgment.

Working with Megan through this tutoring partnership has shown me the potential of programs like this when done with care and intention. Pairing students with tutors outside of the classroom can create space for trust, consistency, and individualized support. But for English learners, it also requires a deeper understanding of language acquisition, culture, and trauma. Not every tutor brings that lens. And that’s not a reflection of their effort, it's a reminder that this work takes a certain kind of awareness and training. As a culture, we have to be more intentional about who we allow to teach and support multilingual students. The wrong match can reinforce harm, while the right one can change the entire trajectory of a child’s learning experience.

Megan’s story and experience, unfortunately, are not unique. As a former classroom teacher of English learners, I’ve worked with students on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to outcomes. I’ve seen students thrive, and I’ve seen students give up and walk away. I know firsthand how hard it is to learn a new language, navigate an unfamiliar system, and still come out feeling whole.

With all the research we have, we know that full immersion doesn’t work best yet it remains the model we use to measure success. We treat students equally but not equitably, expecting the same progress, on the same timeline, with or without the same tools, regardless of circumstance.

If districts are serious about improving language learning, they have to invest in approaches that are both holistic and sustainable. Models that honor where students are and what they carry. This starts with quality instruction, which isn’t possible without quality instructors. Studies show that districts struggle to retain ESL and bilingual-certified teachers because roles are isolating, workloads balloon, supports are weak, and professional recognition is scarce. Decision makers should be asking what more can we do to support teachers.

Holding every student (newcomers, neurodivergent learners, students with disabilities, students living in poverty) to the same standard at the same time isn’t fair; it’s neglect and students are the ones who suffer in this process. Standards and benchmarks don’t see the person sitting in front of you. But we should take a closer look at the individual and their needs. This is where mental health support can make the difference, offering space for students to process, to pause, and to be seen beyond their performance.

When Megan logged onto our session and cried because she only saw F’s on her report card I cried too. The system failed and made her feel that it was her own fault. Though it was later explained that these grades would “not count”, the damage had already been done. I reminded her that grades don’t define intelligence, and that learning a language is not a race. But I also knew my words could only do so much against a structure that keeps telling her she’s behind. “But Miss, I’m not F!” she shared in frustration. I gave her space to vent and then took the opportunity to redirect. What I said did not matter as much as with our language barrier, words get lost in translation, but upon wiping her tears I could tell that what she did not understand in English she felt in her spirit.

Moments like that remind me why this work matters. It’s not just about grammar or reading comprehension; it’s about helping students rebuild trust in school, in language, and in themselves. A week later when she got a 19/36 on her vocabulary test she excitedly exclaimed “Better!” And I agreed.

As educators, we may not be able to fix every policy, but we can choose to be the safe place where a student feels seen. Sometimes that’s what keeps them going.

Being that safe place isn’t listed in any job description, but it’s what makes the difference. It’s what turns language learning from survival into self-discovery. For Megan, and for countless multilingual learners like her, it’s the first step toward belonging and that’s something worth building systems around.

References

Di Lisio, G., Milá Roa, A., Halty, A., Berástegui, A., Couso Losada, A., & Pitillas, C. (2025). Nurturing bonds that empower learning: A systematic review of the significance of teacher-student relationship in education. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1522997. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1522997 Frontiers+1

Marcus, M. (2025, March 25). English learners are increasingly struggling with mental health challenges. The Century Foundation. https://tcf.org/content/commentary/english-learners-are-increasingly-struggling-with-mental-health-challenges/ The Century Foundation

Najarro, I., & Harwin, A. (2025, July 25). Why ESL teachers are calling for more mental health support. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-esl-teachers-are-calling-for-more-mental-health-support/2025/07 Education Week+1

Hawai‘i Public Schools. (n.d.). Multilingualism – Policies. Hawai‘i Public Schools. https://hawaiipublicschools.org/useful-links/policies/multilingualism/

Brandy Walker is a lifelong educator and entrepreneur. Her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and lived experience. With a background spanning education, nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and coaching, she is known for helping people translate who they are and what they’ve lived through into empowered brands that feel grounded, confident, and aligned. Whether working with nonprofit leaders, creatives, or entrepreneurs, Brandy believes clarity is the foundation for confidence and confidence is what allows people to move further, forward, and on purpose.