Supporting Students With English As An Additional Language

Produced as part of the Partnership Development Schools (PDS) Strategy Phase 3 2008-09 (Lead PDS: The Park Community School. Contact Chris Ley

(cley@parkcommunity.devon.sch.uk)

• To consider the factors affecting students from different countries

• To extend the knowledge of strategies to support EAL students

•To gain a basic understanding of language acquisition

AIMS

প্রে�সি�ডে�ন্ট

Portuguese

German

.رحب

Turkish

Chinese

Hindi

Urdu

Farsi

Nepalese

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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10.

BEM - VINDOS

WILLKOMMEN

Arabic

欢迎

Bengali

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Terms and Definitions

EAL - ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

BME - BLACK MINORITY ETHNIC

ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE

L1 - FIRST LANGUAGE

ASR -

EAL Pupils in Plymouth Schools

Children of established ethnic minority communities in Plymouth

Children of medical staff at Derriford

Children of students at the university

Refugees and asylum seekers

Children of mixed nationality marriages

Children of EU Nationals

Whatever their diverse backgrounds, they share a common and 'distinctive task' which is to 'catch up' with a moving target by learning an additional language whilst simultaneously learning National Curriculum content, skills and concepts

Despite continuing and increasing global mobility, there is very little systematised provision to support learners in this task 

There is no 'national curriculum' for English as an additional language, nor a distinct national assessment system 

Barriers To Learning For EAL Students

Child or Young

Person

Family

School

Educational

Setting

Wider World

Community

CULTURAL EXPECTATIONSOF GIRLS AND BOYS LACK OF BI-LINGUAL

RESOURCES

EXPERIENCE OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS

LIMITED ACCESS TO ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES

FAMILY ‘LOSS’ OF A FAMILY MEMBER LACK OF EXTENDED FAMILY CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS OF GIRLS AND BOYS ASPIRATIONS OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS MIXED DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES LACK OF FATHER OR AUTHORITY FIGURE

SCHOOL OREDUCATIONAL

SETTING

LACK OF MOTIVATION LOW SELF-ESTEEM LACK OF BI-LINGUAL RESOURCES PRIOR EDUCATION (ZERO – HERO!)

WIDER WORLD LACK OF POSITIVE ROLE MODELS RACISM / ISLAMAPHOBIA EXPERIENCE OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRANT WORKERS MEDIA CONSTRUCTED IMAGE OF COUNTRIES LENGTHY AND ONGOING ASYLUM CLAIMS

COMMUNITY LIMITED ACCESS TO ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES CULTURE OR ‘IDENTITY’ CRISIS POOR HOUSING ANXIETY AROUND AUTHORITY FIGURES

BARRIERS TO LEARNING FOR EAL STUDENTS

It will be helpful to know this information It will be helpful to know this information about EAL pupils in your classroom.about EAL pupils in your classroom.

• Country of Origin

• First Language

• Other Languages Spoken in Family

• Immigration Status

• Number of Years in the UK

• Religion

• Education History

• Ethnicity

A number of factors will have an impact on the development of pupils' language skills and their ability to apply these skills to their learning across the curriculum:

the age at which pupils enter the educational system their previous experience of schooling and literacy in

their first language; their knowledge, skills and understanding of

languages and the school curriculum; home and community expectations and

understanding of the education system; support structures for learning and language

development at home and at school

EAL students are not a homogeneous group.

Some pupils are born in the UK but enter school speaking little or no English and have limited or no experience of literacy in their first language.

Some pupils are born in the UK but enter school speaking little or no English. However, they have some experience of literacy in their first languages.

Some pupils arrive between the ages of 5 and 16 without literacy or oracy skills in English but with age equivalent skills in literacy and oracy in their first languages, and sometimes in other languages as well.

Some pupils enter the school system between the ages of 5 and 16 without literacy or oracy skills in English and with limited or no literacy skills in their first language due to disrupted schooling.

In addition, some pupils have suffered emotional and psychological stress as a result of family loss or social and economic disruption to their lives in their countries of origin.

There are steps involved in learning a new language.

Listening and absorbing. (Silent Period)

Responding to instructions.

Imitating and copying.

Trying out ½ word phrases.

Naming words.

Action words.

Putting names and actions together.

Trying out whole sentences with mistakes.

Correcting mistakes themselves.

The stages in learning a new language

How Long Does It Take ?

• 1-2 years for BICS ( basic interpersonal communication skills) – context embedded

Ref: Jim Cummins (1984) Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

• 5-7 years for CALPS (cognitive academic language proficiency) – context reduced

Teaching New LanguageWhen learning new words, EAL pupils need to:

SeeSee themthem

Hear themHear them

Read themRead them

Write themWrite them

Put them in a sentencePut them in a sentence

Revise Revise

themthem

Use them in another Use them in another

contextcontext

Comprehensible inputwhere meaning is made clear through the use ofcontext clues (body language, visual support).

According to Krashen three conditions are necessary to promote language acquisition

A stress-free environment where the learner is able to take risks and learn from mistakes as well as successes. The right to be silentwhere the learner is allowed time to listen and tune in to the language before attempting to speak

Explain, model language

Instant Support StrategiesDraw pictures

Listen attentively to the child

Use a bilingual or picture dictionary

Use visual aids

Use the internet

Translate

Simplify text and focus on key words

Highlight key part of sentence structure

Label diagrams

Develop bi-lingual key vocabulary lists

Pre-teach key words and give them emphasis through voice tone

Provide opportunities to practise key words in different contexts.

Make eye contact Give time to plan and to talk

Cue them in

Check understanding

Help them sequence

GEORGE

Filling in gaps in sentences (cloze activities). Labelling: diagrams, sketches and pictures in English

and/or first language. Sorting: listing key words in alphabetical order; writing ‘true’

or ‘false’ about a sentence. Sequencing: sketches/drawings and key words/sentences. Copying key sentences that contain the main ideas of the

lesson. For example, the five key points of the lesson. Dictionary exercises using both English and dual

language dictionaries. Matching activities: sentence halves; sketches/drawings

with words and phrases; key words and definitions. Copying key words from the board or a prepared sheet of

key words and phrases to translate and refer to. Re-ordering sentences based on topic. Compiling a picture glossary of vocabulary related to the

subject.

Bilingualism is an asset.

The first language is key to an EAL pupil’s identity, learning and acquiring an additional language.

Cognitive challenge can and should be kept appropriately high through the provision of linguistic and contextual support.

Language acquisition goes hand in hand with cognitive and academic development with an inclusive curriculum as the context.