In Wait, Don’t Just Translate: Multidimensional Strategies for Emergent Multilingual Learners, Andrea Honigsfeld, Carrie McDermott Goldman, and Maria G. Dove share what it feels like to be a multilingual newcomer entering an unknown school and acquiring English. The commonly asked question by teachers, “To translate or not to translate?” is showcased by a flowchart at the beginning of the book. The text goes beyond this dilemma and offers specific ways to create equitable learning opportunities and strategies to foster high levels of student engagement with and without translation.

 

The inclusion of both student and teacher work makes the book authentic and accessible. Sketch notes introduced in each chapter were created by Claribel González in an original and inviting style. For readers familiar with the team-writing of these authors, especially their work on co-teaching and scaffolding, you can sense a tone of collaboration and recognition of linguistic diversity.   

The audience for this book should be educators who care about their students' language, literacy, and social-emotional development, as well as their academic trajectories. The highlighted practices are realistic and attainable with reflections and extension activities at the end of each chapter. Using a lens of entering and emerging speakers is brilliant, as the book is laser-focused and does not try to address all levels of English proficiency. Rather, it carefully considers students who may have new language “overload” and how to respond to small successes and new experiences.

   

With the rise of AI technology, translation has never been easier and more accurate. Yet, the authors caution against overreliance on translation and encourage educators to expand their toolkit to include a range of multidimensional strategies. Using teacher-generated materials, the book includes translation resources, academic language elements, suggestions for curriculum design features, and assessment frameworks. Asking the recurring question, “Why does it matter for newcomers?” grounds the student-centered strategies with reasons for the spotlighted activities. Underscoring the newcomer theme are practices that help emergent learners maintain their personal and cultural identities while building the academic skills they need to succeed. The book is asset-based and reader-friendly, with clear suggestions for supports and scaffolds for newcomers. The three authors have written multiple books together, but this book will surely be a favorite. 

Audrey Cohan, Ed.D.

(She/Her/Hers)

Senior Dean for Research, Scholarship, and Graduate Studies

Molloy University

1000 Hempstead Avenue K322

Rockville Centre, NY 11571-5002