Should I let ELL/English B students talk in their native language in my classroom?
It depends! There are occasions where stronger students can quickly explain things in their home language to the less proficient – this frees the teacher from constantly needing to check. It is helpful if the lesson contains a number of natural breaks in which less proficient students can be helped to understand the important points made or task set, otherwise students have a tendency of giving simultaneous translations and this can be disruptive for the whole class. Discussing things in their home language will help students develop a deeper understanding of the topic.