By the time a #fluency gap appears in #grades, it has usually existed for #weeks or #months.
The #challenge is that real-time comprehension is #difficult to observe directly.
Most institutions rely on delayed signals.
When #fluency is under-supported, institutions don’t see one #problem.
They see:
– lower participation
– more repeated explanations
– heavier support demand
Over time, this becomes a performance gap.
Not because of ability. Because of language friction.
Language is not a side issue in education. It shapes access to learning itself.
This matters most in multilingual classrooms.
Lectures move at a fixed pace; understanding does not.
For non-native speakers, processing takes longer. Participation drops before outcomes do.