Multilingual Learners Hub
Dear Students,
While the word “multilingual” suggests that our languages are a collection of different, separate, countable languages we accumulate neatly, we know from experience that the reality is much messier. Our languages intersect and overlap. They’re incomplete and always changing. The lines between them blur as we speak, dream, think, write, listen, and learn. What’s more, languages are never quiet or still. Sometimes a thought or phrase from one language will force itself to the forefront of our minds, insisting on itself as the best expression in a given moment. Being multilingual is this complex experience of being between languages and learning how they inform the way we study, work, communicate, and live.
As artists and designers, multilingualism can be a great source of inspiration and material for complex visual communication. As students, however, it can be challenging to develop academic fluency in another language as you complete your assignments. If English is not your primary language, you may come up against misunderstandings of your work or the way you present it. You may face discrimination based on your language skills or the misperception of them. We believe that a big part of language study is preparing ourselves for all kinds of communication situations, even when they are challenging.
We are here to support you in talking through such situations, working with all of your languages, and advancing the English skills you need for academic success in your coursework and independent paths. As you begin to work on your assignments and develop new projects, your communication skills will grow to meet your learning needs.
The links on this page will bring you to additional resources to help with adapting to the RISD curriculum. They include handouts to read, links to explore, and scheduling options for A&L workshops and individual meetings for multilingual learners (MLLs).
Wishing you the best in your studies, studios, and languages,
Maya Krinsky
mkrinsky01@risd.edu
Associate Director for Multilingual Learning, A&L