Wait, Don't Just Translate

Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is professor in the School of Education at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (Grades 5-8 and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (Grades K-3 and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was the recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John's University, New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and teacher collaboration. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002. In the past 22 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, China, Denmark, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. She coauthored Differentiated Instruction for At-Risk Students (2009) and coedited the five-volume Breaking the Mold of Education series (2010-2013), published by Rowman and Littlefield. She is also the coauthor of Core Instructional Routines: Go-To Structures for Effective Literacy Teaching, K-5 and 6-12 (2014), Growing Language and Literacy (K-8 and 6-12, 2019, 2024 respectively) published by Heinemann. With Maria G. Dove, she coedited Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012), Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-Based Practices and Research-Informed Outcomes (2020), Portraits of Collaboration: Educators Working Together to Support Multilingual Learners (2022), and coauthored Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K-5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6-12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader's Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018), Collaborating for English Learners: A Foundational Guide to Integrated Practices (2019), and Co-Planning: 5 Essential Practices to Integrate Curriculum and Instruction for English Learners (2022). She is a contributing author of Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020), From Equity Insights to Action (2022), Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners (2022), Collaboration and Co-Teaching for Dual Language Learners: Transforming Programs for Multilingualism and Equity (2023), Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall: Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners' Success (2024), Collaboration for Multilingual Learners With Exceptionalities: We Share the Students (2024), Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (2025), and Nine Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners (2026). Ten of her Corwin books are bestsellers. Carrie McDermott Goldman, EdD is professor and Director of Graduate and Post Graduate Teacher Education Programs at Molloy University's School of Education and Human Services (Rockville Centre, NY), brings over two decades of experience to her role teaching pre-service and in-service teachers. Before entering higher education, she taught multilingual learners across elementary, middle, and high school settings, as well as adult learners. Her career demonstrates a commitment to transforming education through innovative teaching, mentorship, and promoting equitable learning opportunities for all students. Her areas of expertise include culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies, teaching English to students of other languages (grades PK-12 and adults), curriculum development, program development and restructuring, co-teaching, multi-tiered systems of support, and teacher mentoring. She works with school district administrators to strengthen instructional programming and to supervise and evaluate these practices through customizable coaching and mentorship protocols. As a professional developer, she works directly with teachers to support diverse classrooms through hands-on, practical approaches that can be implemented immediately in their instructional settings. Her professional development sessions emphasize actionable strategies that honor students' linguistic and cultural assets while addressing the real-world challenges educators face in today's multilingual classrooms. She co-authored the best-selling book From Equity Insights to Action: Critical Strategies for Teaching Multilingual Learners (2022) and, most recently, Nine Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners (2026). She is also the author of several teaching guides, including Multilingual Learners: Strategies to Adapt Instruction in Content Areas (2nd Edition), Multilingual Learners: Strategic Tools & Teaching Approaches, Multilingual Learners: Language Development or Disability?, and Teaching English Learners: Strategies for Classroom Teachers. In addition, she has published textbook chapters in Teaching Science to English Language Learners: Preparing Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers, Teaching History and Social Studies to English Language Learners, Effective Teacher Collaboration for English Language Learners: Cross-Curricular Insights From K-12 Classrooms, and Approaches to Classroom Management for Diverse and Inclusive Schools. She has written articles in the Journal of Leadership and Instruction, New York State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: Impact Journal, and IDIOM. She serves as a grant writer and member of the Peer Review Committee for SCOPE's Journal for Leadership and Instruction. She has presented at various conferences, including TESOL International, NYS TESOL, Long Island ESOL, and The Teachers' Institute. Maria G. Dove, EdD, is professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches preservice and inservice teachers about the research and best practices for implementing effective instruction for English learners, and she supports doctoral students in the EdD program in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities. Before entering the field of higher education, she worked for over thirty years as an English-as-a-second-language teacher in public school settings (Grades K-12) and in adult English language programs in the greater New York City area. She frequently provides professional development for educators throughout the United States on the teaching of multilingual learners. She also serves as a mentor for new ESOL teachers as well as an instructional coach for general-education teachers and literacy specialists. With Andrea Honigsfeld, she has coauthored multiple best-selling Corwin books, including Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K-5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), and Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6-12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader's Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018). Along with other Corwin top-named authors, she coauthored Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020). In addition, she coedited, Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012) and Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-Based Practices and Research-Informed Outcomes (2020) published by Information Age. With Audrey Cohan and Andrea Honigsfeld, she coauthored Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014) published by Corwin and Team Up, Speak Up, Fire Up: Educators, Students, and the Community Working Together to Support English Learners (2020) published by ASCD.

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Classroom and School Environment Chapter 3: Building Effective Relationships Chapter 4: Language and Literacy Chapter 5: Curriculum Chapter 6: Instructional Practices Chapter 7: Assessment Practices Chapter 8: Preparing for the Future

"This timely book makes a compelling case that overreliance on translation, including the growing use of AI by teachers and students, limits newcomer multilingual learners' language development and equitable access to rigorous content. Honigsfeld, McDermott Goldman, and Dove thoughtfully reframe translation as one tool for engagement and equity rather than a crutch while offering a wide range of practical strategies to actively engage students in meaningful learning. From the very first pages, the book draws readers in with engaging visuals, authentic student artifacts, and practical insights. I highly recommend this resource for educators who are committed to supporting multilingual learners' equity and engagement in new ways." -- Diane Staehr Fenner "This is a must-read resource that offers a clear and practical roadmap for supporting multilingual newcomers. It equips educators to build student agency and belonging, accelerate language and literacy, and design instruction that honors students' identities and strengths." -- Jeff Zwiers, EdD "As the Director of EL & Bilingual Programs in a district serving over 1,000 multilingual learners, I see daily how critical it is for educators to move beyond defaulting to translation and instead make thoughtful, strategic decisions that truly accelerate language and content learning. This timely and practical book captures that nuance beautifully-guiding teachers on when, with whom, how, and why to use translation in ways that honor students' assets while avoiding overreliance on AI-driven translation tools. It is an essential resource for any educator committed to creating classrooms where multilingual learners thrive!" -- Pamela Schwallier "As an educator with more than 26 years supporting newcomer students, this book resonates deeply with my lived experience-reminding us that while translation may open the door, it is connection, belonging, and high expectations that truly change lives." -- Luz E. Rivera "In Wait, Don't Just Translate: Strategies for Emergent Multilingual Learners, Dr. Honigsfeld and Dr. Dove once again offer a powerful blend of research and practice that educators can immediately put to use. Grounded in a strong theoretical foundation and enriched by authentic stories from the field-including the voices of former newcomer students-this book brings clarity and humanity to the complex work of supporting multilingual learners. Particularly impactful are the detailed tables and accompanying flowcharts that clearly outline the do's and don'ts of translation. These tools provide educators with practical, actionable guidance while reinforcing the importance of translanguaging and meaningful second language development. With a consistent emphasis on students' strengths and assets, this book challenges educators to think more intentionally about when and how translation is used in the classroom. It is an essential resource for anyone committed to fostering multilingualism and creating more inclusive, responsive learning environments." -- Suzanne Toohey "The field has been waiting for a professional resource like this! While educators are often eager to serve and support their newcomer students, the overuse of translation has created misunderstandings and misconceptions in schools across the country. This book helps provide guidance to teachers, teams, and schools as they navigate how to leverage translation with intentionality, culturally responsive understanding, and identity-affirming pedagogy. I'm thrilled for this book to be in the hands of educators and leaders serving newcomer students!" -- Carly Spina "As a teacher of ENL and HLA newcomer students for over two decades -- and as the founding teacher of a high school course in Spanish for Translation and Interpretation -- I can confidently say this book is long overdue!Early in my career, well-intentioned guidance often encouraged teachers to rely on translation as a primary support for English Learners. What we didn't yet understand was that translation, when used without purpose or strategy, can unintentionally limit language development.Wait... Don't Just Translate provides the clarity our field has needed for years. It offers thoughtful, practical guidance on discerning when translation supports learning and when it doesn't. The authors also provide concrete strategies for using translation effectively. This book is an essential resource for any educator committed to supporting English Learners with both intention and impact." -- Anita Ramirez "As a teacher educator working with both K-12 pre-service and practicing teachers, I highly recommend this book for anyone new to working with multilingual learners. It speaks directly to the questions teachers often have: how to move beyond reliance on translation tools while still supporting students' language development, and what effective support actually looks like in practice. Grounded in field-based research and the voices of both teachers and multilingual learners, this book offers clear, practical strategies for supporting newcomers in meaningful and sustainable ways. It is an accessible and much-needed resource for today's classrooms." -- Heather Reichmuth "This book provides a guide for educators seeking to move beyond simple translation toward a more holistic, asset-based approach for supporting emergent multilingual learners. By prioritizing equity, engagement, and relational trust, it offers research-informed strategies that empower newcomers to thrive academically and socially from the moment they arrive. It is an invaluable resource for creating inclusive school environments where every student's linguistic and cultural background is celebrated as a vital foundation for their success! I recommend this read for all teachers who work with multilingual learners!" -- Sarah Guinon "Wait, Don't Just Translate is more than a manual on language acquisition; it is a profound call to center the inherent beauty and unique gifts of every multilingual learner. This book reminds us that effective pedagogy must begin with a steadfast commitment to an asset-based mindset. By weaving together advocacy for equity with practical tools-such as guidance on what success looks like for newcomers, technology spotlights, and reflective opportunities for practitioners-the authors provide a comprehensive roadmap for success. This work directly answers the most pressing questions I encounter in my role supporting educators. I look forward to seeing its impact in classrooms everywhere." -- Rhonda Hittenberger Ortiz "With AI and tech tools making translation fast and easy, many well-meaning educators are unknowingly overusing it in ways that can limit rather than expand the growth of newcomer Multilingual Learners. This timely and thoughtful book helps teachers move beyond good intentions -- helping them develop a clear, principled approach to deciding when translation supports learning and bilingualism, and when students need to wrestle with English themselves, whether taking it in through listening and reading or producing it through speaking and writing. Honigsfeld, Dove, and McDermott Goldman have written exactly the resource our field needs right now." -- Rob Greenhaw "As though one remarkable book from Drs. Honigsfeld, Dove, and McDermott Goldman, Nine Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners, wasn't enough, we're now treated to yet another brilliant collaborative creation to support multilingual learner education. These three leading women researchers are sharing leadership to reshape the field of multilingual teacher preparation and professional learning through innovative, practice-centered approaches--for the true betterment of our schools and communities. Simply put, this book must live at your fingertips to guide your daily practices rather than sit idle on a bookshelf. Ultimately, Wait, Don't Just Translate, helps all educators serve our multilingual learners so each and every student wants to come to school and engage in their learning in very meaningful ways." -- Joan Lachance "Not sure when to translate and when to use other approaches? Wait, Don't Just Translate: Strategies for Emergent Multilingual Learners provides clear guidance on this nuanced topic. As a teacher educator, I have used several books by Drs. Honigsfeld, Dove, and McDermott Goldman in my methods classes. I appreciate how complex concepts are presented in engaging, easy-to-understand formats. I receive great feedback on the texts I select for my courses. Teachers will value how this text helps them determine when translation is a good option and which other strategies and approaches they can use to support newcomers. Teachers will also be guided to reflect on other ways, beyond language learning, to support the newcomers they serve. I'm looking forward to teaching with Wait, Don't Just Translate: Strategies for Emergent Multilingual Learners!" -- Lori Edmonds