Recently arrived learners of EAL

• In focus: • Literacy in primary and secondary

settings

• Concepts, issues,

ways forward

Angelika Baxter

Ethnic Minority Achievement Adviser

(cross phase primary/secondary)

angelika88@talktalk.net

Learners of EALConcepts of literacy

(widest sense)

School starting age?age appropriate literacy skills?

Cultures traditionally rooted in oracyrole of literacy in daily life

Faith focused models of literacyperspectives on comprehension skills

LiteracySkills are needed, but …

‘Literacy is more than the sum of its skills’.

Learners of EALPrevious education in UK

all records transferred between schools?EAL development monitored, docs transferred?

Previous education outside UKrange of subjects?teaching styles?school reports?concepts acquired in

language(s) other than English?

Learners of EAL

UK school routinese.g. assemblies

school food

Lining up/ queuing

Learners of EALGaps in formal education

e.g. fleeing war zone/young asylum seekerse.g. long delay in being assigned a local UK school

Younger childrenposs. Impact on concepts including literacy in first language… but not necessarily …

learning outside formal school settings

Older childrenoften‘pre-gap’ fluent readers/writersrange of academic conceptslearning outside of school

Recent arrivals learning EAL

Visible:emerging EAL skills

(BICS)

Less visible:need for further scaffoldingaround CALPS

Conceptual development often ahead of EAL development

Recent arrivals learning EAL

Visible:early stage EAL learner

non-verbal phaseSome talents

Less visible:MORE talentsProficiency in at least one languageacademic conceptsstrengths, skills, abilitiespotential contributions in schoolemployability

Recent arrivals learning EAL

non-verbal phase Also less visible, e.g.

Separation issuesHelplessness, anger, fearTrauma

Post traumatic stress normal person, abnormal situation)

Issues around trustParents’ ‘opportunity’ may be

child’s ‘displacement’

Supporting EAL acquisition

Unlocking potential

AcademicArtisticSharing maturityExpressing stress factors

Grouping by abilityholistic view. maths, self discipline, areas of interest

High expectations

Articulate models of English usage in class

Beware standardised testing

Conceptual development ahead of English language proficiency

Conceptual development can’t be captured

in e.g. ‘reading age’ assessments

Cultural biasAll standard tests, verbal or pictorial

TimeframesAcquisition of full bilingualism with English

Average 7 – 10 years(individual learning curves may vary)

EAL inclusive practice

Aims:

Facilitating pupils’ affinity with the medium of English

Supporting comprehension

Scaffolding expression, in English, of complex content

Emphasis on …

Contextualised learning

conceptual developmenttext/task subject/unit specific

Primary practitioners - Phonics warning …

Enabling literacy skills transfer

A pupil rounded in his/her home language will be able to transfer linguistic skills/concepts to English over time.

Parents/carers should support the maintenance/development of

age appropriate proficiency in the home language.

e.g. Saturday schools/similar

Sensitivities around young asylum seekers

Practical ideas could include …

Emphasis on EAL pupils’ strengthsinnovative teacher approaches to e.g.RE, PE, Music, Visual Art, Geography …

pre-teaching/early pupil exposure to class text across subject areas

Teacher awareness - cognitive importance of e.g. planned, structured peer talk

LiteracySkills are needed, but …

‘Literacy is more than the sum of its skills’.

Helpful websites

• www.naldic.org.uk/eal-initial-teacher-education/resources/eal-literacy

• www.littlelearner.eu – for speakers of Polish, Romanian, Lithuanian only

EAL learners and literacy

• Thanks for listening

• Questions

• Reflections