Points to remember when supporting pupils with EAL
School/class ethos
- recognise the child's mother tongue - this doesn't mean they have 'no' language, they have a different language/s;
- make your classroom socially and intellectually inclusive, valuing cultural differences and fostering a range of individual identities;
- boost the pupils' self-esteem - remember, they have the potential to become bilingual adults but it takes time to become fluent in an additional language, with a good command of the range of language needed for academic success;
Identifying pupils' strengths
- pupils from other language backgrounds have a wide variety of cultural, linguistic and educational experiences; see the cultural differences brought by the pupil to the class as a bonus and use this in your teaching.
Expectations
- have high expectations - expect pupils to contribute and to give you more than one-word answers;
- most bilingual pupils are capable of high achievement, even when they are beginners in English;
- the literacy goals in English are the same for all pupils; many bilingual pupils will also become literate in one or more other languages;
- the process of becoming literate in either a first or an additional language has both similarities and differences - knowledge of the particular features of the child's mother tongue can help.
Teaching and learning strategies
- ensure that EAL pupils are set appropriate and challenging learning objectives;
- recognise that EAL pupils need more time to process answers;
- talking about language and literacy with peers and adults is essential - it helps pupils to use their home language when talking about literacy, even when their goal is literacy in English;
- do not allow any racist comments or jokes to pass - these should be reported and dealt with according to the school discipline policy;
- give newly arrived young children time to absorb English (there is a recognised 'silent period' when children understand much more English than they use - this will pass if their self-confidence is maintained);
- group children - to ensure that EAL pupils hear good models of English, wherever possible, they should be grouped with higher-attaining children when oral work is being undertaken;
- use collaborative learning techniques - encourage children to work together in pairs and small groups, to discuss their work and possibly produce a joint piece of work or report for the class; this is a valuable strategy for promoting learning for EAL pupils. It is beneficial to allow EAL pupils to work together when possible, so that they can discuss their work in their mother tongue before using English.
Assessment
pupils learning EAL need to be assessed in relation to the National Curriculum standards and expectations as early as possible in their school career. See DfES standards site:NLS:inclusion and National Curriculum online:inclusion, for support materials.