How to navigate multilingualism in global online classrooms

A scene has become increasingly common in my classroom, particularly in global industrial engineering and international business programmes. Students log into a shared virtual space knowing that they will soon interact with peers from the United States, Poland or Ukraine. Cameras turn on, microphones are tested and suddenly, the classroom expands beyond its physical boundaries.

What follows is not simply a discussion in English, but a meeting of perspectives. In that moment, the benefits of multilingualism in university classrooms become clear.

In these environments, teaching in English is no longer about language acquisition. Most of my students already communicate effectively in English. The real challenge lies in helping them to use that shared language to collaborate across cultures, interpret different perspectives and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Students quickly realise that speaking the same language does not guarantee universal meanings. Concepts such as ethics, leadership, sustainability or social responsibility are interpreted through different social and institutional lenses. Consequently, one of the most valuable learning outcomes emerges from the need to navigate these differences. Rather than focusing on linguistic correctness, students are challenged to clarify, negotiate and sometimes rethink their assumptions to be understood.

Designing collaboration beyond borders

These dynamics become especially visible through collaborative online international learning (COIL) and internationalisation at home initiatives.

Recently, students at my institution have collaborated with global peers on comparative analyses, presentations and problem-solving projects. In these settings, while English serves as a shared communication platform, the learning itself is the result of the diversity of perspectives.

Classroom dynamics shift significantly:

• From teacher-student interactions to global peer interactions
• Students compare perspectives and reflect critically on their own assumptions
• Students develop intercultural competence alongside communication skills, both increasingly essential in global professional environments.

Four strategies that strengthen multilingual virtual collaboration

Structure interactions: international collaboration does not happen automatically. Debates, collaborative projects and guided discussions encourage students to explain concepts, compare realities and engage meaningfully with others rather than remain passive participants.

Combine synchronous and asynchronous participation: digital collaboration improves when we balance live interaction with reflective participation.

Tools such as Zoom, VoiceThread and Trello allow students to engage both in real time and asynchronously through complementary learning activities. For example, Zoom breakout rooms can be used for small-group debates, collaborative case analyses and intercultural interaction before students share their conclusions with the wider group.

VoiceThread enables students to post short video or audio reflections on course topics and respond to peers across institutions, creating space for more deliberate participation, particularly for those who need additional time to formulate ideas in English.

Trello serves as a shared project workspace where teams assign responsibilities, monitor progress, exchange sources and provide peer feedback while developing collaborative presentations or research projects. Together, these activities create a continuous cycle of interaction, reflection and collaboration that extends beyond scheduled class meetings and encourages more inclusive participation in multilingual settings.

• Spotlight guide: Support student success in the multilingual classroom
• Eleven ways to support international students who use English as a second language
• A universal design approach to teaching multilingual students

Focus assessment on ideas, not language perfection: An important lesson from multilingual collaboration is that fluency alone does not guarantee effective communication.

Assessment should prioritise clarity of ideas, analytical depth and engagement with multiple perspectives rather than grammatical perfection alone. For example, in international business courses, mixed international teams analyse topics such as corporate sustainability, ethical decision-making or market differences across countries.

Students should be evaluated on the strength of their arguments, their ability to support claims with evidence and the extent to which they engage with perspectives contributed by international peers. In industrial engineering courses, students collaborate on comparative analyses of production systems or process-improvement challenges, where assessment focuses on problem-solving, justification of proposed solutions and effective teamwork across cultural contexts.

Minor grammatical errors do not substantially affect grades when communication remains clear and ideas are well developed. This approach encourages students to take intellectual risks, participate more confidently and focus on building meaningful intercultural dialogue rather than striving for linguistic perfection.

Design assignments around collaborative problem-solving: project-based learning works particularly well in international virtual environments because it allows students to apply concepts locally while collaborating globally.

Comparative analysis, case studies and collaborative research projects encourage students to connect classroom concepts with real-world challenges while working across cultural and institutional contexts.

One activity that works particularly well is a comparative sustainability project involving mixed international teams. Students work across universities to analyse how their respective countries tackle sustainability challenges such as water management, renewable energy adoption or corporate social responsibility.

During synchronous Zoom sessions, teams discuss local realities and identify key differences, while asynchronous collaboration through Trello and shared documents allows them to exchange sources, develop comparative analyses and prepare joint presentations. Rather than search for a single “correct” solution, students learn to explain why different approaches emerge from distinct social, economic and institutional contexts. This project consistently leads to richer discussions, stronger critical thinking and a deeper appreciation of the value of interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration.

Multilingualism as an academic asset

Online international collaboration also highlights the value of translanguaging practices.

Even when English remains the primary language of communication, students naturally draw on their broader linguistic repertoires to process information, clarify concepts and support one another. This movement between languages strengthens understanding and reinforces multilingualism as an academic asset.

Ultimately, the multilingual university is defined not by the number of languages spoken, but by the interactions those languages make possible.

Teaching in this context is not about instructing students in a language they already know, but about guiding them to use that language to engage with the world, collaborate across cultures and develop the competencies required for an increasingly interconnected society.

Francisco Alberto Núñez Tapia is a research professor at the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, CETYS University, Mexicali Campus.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.