There are now more than one million learners in UK schools who speak English as an additional language (EAL). This represents a considerable proportion of the school population. In our school population, we have  15 per cent of children who have English as an Additional Language.

 

Our EAL learners come from very diverse backgrounds. Some arrive seeking asylum, while others follow families coming to the UK as economic migrants or for other reasons. EAL learners also include those who were born and raised in the UK speaking a language other than English. The most common first languages spoken by EAL learners in our school include Polish, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch. We do however have a growing number of different languages being spoken in our school - you can tell this by the number of different flags that hang throughout our corridor.

 

Most classes in our school have EAL learners in them. As with other groups of learners, our teachers adapt their lessons to make sure that all learners can get the most out of lessons. They do this by involving learners in activities where the language is challenging but appropriate to their abilities and interests. All of our teachers have received training in EAL and we have two champions for EAL in our school who offer to support to other teachers if they need it with planning and resources. 

 

We as a school also get support of experts from our Local Authority. This service is called EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service) .  

We evaluated our EAL provision in school and have identified the following areas of success:

• We have developed a better EAL-friendly teaching practice through working with EMTAS.
• As a group of staff, we all have a good command of English grammar. This helps us teach our EAL learners how to use language in the different subjects of the curriculum.
• We regularly ask for more support from our LA and do lots of action research to be able to teach our EAL learners effectively.
• We have developed two teacher champions and 2 LSA Champions for EAL learners - so we keep up to date with changes in practice and policy.
• We signpost our EAL children's parents to various services to help them transition into our community more effectively and so that they can also develop their own English language too.  

 

An areas we are developing is:

• Supporting parents of EAL learner through helping them understand how our school education system works and how to support their child’s education at home.

 

How can teachers best meet the needs of EAL learners?

Certain principles help teachers adapt their lessons to the needs of EAL learners. By following these, teachers can help these children reach their educational goals and play a positive part in our school life, the community and society as a whole.

The potential among EAL learners for bilingualism is particularly important, as it increases mental ability such as problem-solving and creativity. Bilingualism gives EAL learners a fantastic advantage when looking for a job later on, too. Our teachers therefore consider the role of learners’ first language and be aware that the acquisition of a new language goes hand-in-hand with cognitive and academic development.

Here are some of the main principles of EAL teaching in our school:

• We use more visuals in the form of pictures, photographs, and so on, to help learners make sense of new information.
• We use graphic organisers such as tables or grids to help learners organise their thinking.
• We develop interactive and collaborative teaching and learning styles and activities.
• We think about the language demands of the curriculum (oral and written) and provide models and frameworks where appropriate.
• We use drama and role play to make learning memorable and encourage empathy.
• We get learners to work with partners or in a small groups using the language for a specific purpose rather than out of context.
• We try our hardest to maintain and develop our EAL learners’ first language alongside improving their English.
• We provide opportunities to talk before writing and use rhymes/mnemonics  to help learners memorise new language.
• We support language development through key phrases rather than key words.

 

Our EAL learners are an asset to our school and our community

EAL learners have brought a new dimension to our school. These children can share experiences and cultures from other countries and bring an international perspective, helping their peers understand different cultures, people and points of view better. Our EAL learners also have extra language skills they can share and bring to the school and to the UK when they grow up.

Finally, when lessons are successfully adapted for them, EAL learners achieve well academically, even outperforming their English mother tongue peers as seen in our own school's data analysis.