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The classroom support strategies map directly onto the relevant individual descriptors within the EAL Assessment Framework for Schools and provide highly practical ways to support EAL learners at each stage of their language development.
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Learners’ multilingualism – their ability to listen, speak, read and view, and/or write in one or more languages and/or scripts beyond English – is a valuable resource. Maintaining and further developing learners’ home languages and other languages they know results in greater cognitive flexibility and stronger academic performance.
- About the authors
- Key messages
- Cognitive benefits
- Vocabulary
- Assessing a new pupil
- Placing a new arrival in an appropriate class or group:
- Help with settling in
- Resources
- Home support and learning
- Planning implications
- Parents and community: Supporting pupils’ learning
- Anna
- Amal
- Useful resources
Caroline Crolla has had a career in teaching English, drama and media studies in several schools in both Kenya and the UK. She has been Head of English, Senior Teacher and Deputy Headteacher in secondary schools before moving into teacher education. She is particularly interested in English as an additional language (EAL); grammar and knowledge abo...
Established good practice for pupils learning EAL is largely good practice for all pupils. Teachers should explicitly model language structures and patterns. Initial whole-school processes for assessment of language, learning and pastoral needs on entry is crucial as is developing a welcoming ethos that reflects diversity and culture. Children who ...
While a considerable amount of research has been carried out into the challenges faced by children learning EAL, it is less well known that there are also important cognitive benefits of being brought up bilingual. Bilingual learners demonstrate an advantage over monolingual learners in non-verbal tasks requiring attentional control, such as card s...
Bilingual learners often have a smaller vocabulary in each language than monolinguals do,8 and do not always have a translation equivalent for each English word in their other language, although the total vocabulary will be comparable. So, teachers will need to be aware of the fact that subtle conceptual distinctions, such as the difference between...
Established good practice for pupils learning EAL is largely good practice for all pupils. Schools which are serious about knowing their pupils well will know the value of initial whole-school processes for assessment on entry. This includes an initial family interview, buddying with an able English speaker (or a bilingual learner with the same fir...
Children who are learning EAL will learn more quickly alongside fluent users of English who can provide good language and learning role models. If possible, place the pupil in a class or group that includes a pupil who speaks the same language. A child with little or no previous experience of schooling needs careful consideration. It may seem appro...
Introduce yourself and write your name down for the new pupil, if the pupil is literate. Checking pronunciation of child’s name and preferred name is also important. Allow the pupil plenty of listening time. Do not worry if they do not say much at first. Concentrate on communication at first, rather than correction. Involve the pupil in using the l...
Bilingual and/or picture dictionaries can be useful. Audio resources provide opportunities for listening to the sounds and patterns in English. Use visual support in the form of photographs, artefacts, films, software, etc. to help with understanding. Presenting information using graphic organisers, such as pie charts, graphs, pictograms, tables a...
Where possible, encourage parents and carers to support home-learning tasks. Encourage the pupil to create their own word lists.
Include curriculum links to the culture and language of new pupils, where possible. Ensure you plan meaningful activities that will allow the pupil to feel integrated into the class, while still differentiating at the appropriate level. Plan opportunities for the pupil to repeat the language and learning in context, such as through group work. Wher...
Parents, carers and families are the first educators of their children within the community and all are co-investors with schools in raising attainment. When schools adopt the following three-pronged approach, positive engagement often follows: Inform: work towards a shared understanding of expectations, curriculum, assessment and testing arrangeme...
Anna is nine years old. She was born in Poland and Polish is her first language. She was admitted to a small primary school on the edge of a small town in September 2003. Anna was the only pupil with English as an additional language at the school. Staff at the school had no recent experience of children learning EAL. Initially, Anna watched everyt...
Amal is seven years old and was born in England of Turkish parents. Her mother has very limited English skills. Her father is more competent in speaking English at a conversational level. The school Amal attends has 260 children on roll, of whom 11% speak English as an additional language and come from a variety of different language and cultural ...
The DfE’s website on inclusion and learner support provides useful information and documentation. National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC) provides a professional forum to learn more about EAL and bilingual learners. The British Council website provides information on EAL related issues and offers support for parents...
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Creating a communication supportive environment: Primary. What is a communication-supportive environment? A communication supportive environment is one that ensures that children’s speech, language and communication skills are planned for and supported throughout the day.
This page includes a range of guidance for parents of EAL learners, available in a range of languages including Ukrainian, Pashto and Chinese.
Oct 2, 2014 · The most common first languages spoken by EAL learners include Polish, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish and Tamil. What are the challenges of teaching EAL learners? Most teachers in primary and secondary schools have EAL learners in their classes.
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Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based approach that leverages students’ assets — their cultures, languages, and life experiences — to create rigorous, student-centered instruction. To put culturally responsive teaching into practice, follow the ideas below.
