Get Comfortable with AI as an Assistant to Help You with Multilingual Learners

Introduction

AI isn’t the future of teaching—it’s here now, and it can save teachers hours of prep while giving multilingual learners (MLs) the clear, actionable feedback they need. Instead of adding to teacher workloads, AI can simplify feedback loops, scaffold challenging texts, and even turn diagnostic data into specific learning steps.

For schools serving MLs, this isn’t about replacing teachers. It’s about giving teachers sharper tools that let them focus on what really matters: relationships and instruction.

Strategy 1: Use IXL Diagnostics with AI

IXL produces two important documents:

• Diagnostic results → specific to each student, showing strengths and weaknesses.

• Skill plans → general roadmaps tied to standards, assessments, or grade-level benchmarks.

  
  

On their own, these don’t always speak to each other. That’s where AI comes in.

Here’s how to make them work together:

1. Download both the student’s IXL Diagnostic PDF and the relevant IXL Skill Plan PDF (state standards, test prep, or grade-level plan).

2. Upload both PDFs into ChatGPT (or a similar AI assistant).

3. Ask: “Based on this student’s diagnostic, which skills from this skill plan should they focus on first?”

4. Use the AI’s targeted recommendations to:

   • Assign the right IXL practice.

   • Guide student conferences with concrete next steps.

   • Track progress toward both personal growth and state standards.
     

This process turns two separate IXL outputs into a personalized roadmap. Teachers no longer have to manually align diagnostics with skill plans—AI does the heavy lifting, freeing you to spend more time teaching.

Strategy 2: Inject Tier 2 Vocabulary into Readings with AI

Vocabulary is the rocket fuel for academic success. The fastest path to higher test scores is mastery of Tier 2 academic vocabulary—words that appear across all subjects and assessments.

Teachers can:

1. Upload AIR Language’s Tier 2 Vocabulary Lists

2. Ask AI to:

   • Generate student-friendly definitions.

   • Create example sentences tied to current class content.

   • Design quick oral practice tasks (e.g., discussion starters).

     
     

By anchoring vocabulary practice to a research-backed Tier 2 list, teachers ensure students are learning the right words—not random or low-impact ones.

Strategy 3: Adjust Texts to Preferred Lexile Levels with AI for Multilingual Learners

Many MLs stall when texts are far above their comprehension level. AI can bridge that gap by rewriting materials:

• Upload a passage.

• Ask AI: “Rewrite this at a Lexile 700 while keeping the main ideas intact.”

• Use the adapted text alongside the original for scaffolded reading.

Instead of “watering down” material, this makes grade-level content accessible while still exposing students to rich ideas and academic language.

Strategy 4: Use AI for Readability + Translanguaging

Don’t translate entire texts—that reduces students’ engagement with English. Instead, let AI make the text more readable:

• Identify 5–7 challenging Tier 2 words in a passage.

• Ask AI to provide:

  • Student-friendly definitions.

  • Short background knowledge explanations.

  • Translations of just those key terms.

This allows students to translanguage strategically: drawing on their first language to unlock meaning while still grappling with English texts.

Strategy 5: Standardized Test Prep Made Smarter

State assessments can feel overwhelming for MLs, especially when prep is generic. AI can turn practice tests into powerful language scaffolds:

• Upload a released test passage or practice prompt.

• Ask AI to:

  • Highlight Tier 2 words.

  • Suggest sentence frames for answering questions.

  • Break down why distractor answers are wrong.

This transforms test prep into language learning, helping students prepare for both content and the academic English used on assessments.

Strategy 6: Teacher PD in 5 Minutes

AI isn’t just for students—it’s a professional development tool, too. Teachers can ask AI to create quick guides or demonstrations on how to use strategies in class.

Imagine recording a 5-minute video walkthrough (screen share + explanation) showing:

• How to upload an IXL diagnostic into ChatGPT.

• How to pull Tier 2 vocabulary supports.

• How to scaffold a reading passage to a Lexile level.

That short video becomes an on-demand PD resource—building teacher capacity while modeling how AI strengthens both language growth and course-standard alignment.

AI can’t replace the teacher, but it can amplify your expertise. From turning diagnostics into action steps to building Tier 2 vocabulary routines, to scaffolding texts at the right Lexile level, AI helps teachers save time while students gain the specific language practice they need.

The future of multilingual education isn’t “AI or teachers”—it’s teachers empowered by AI.