This article focuses on the instructional needs of newcomers to the North American classrooms who already speak one or more foreign languages and who are coping with classroom-related language issues. It taps into positive instructional strategies that are culturally-validating and welcoming for these students. Inspired by an invited Oxford Round Table presentation in the United Kingdom (Klein, 2007), it also explores the concept of field-dependence/independence, which is a culturally-based mode of learning influenced by culture and parenting style.