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)

AIMS
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

1.

BEM - VINDOS

Portuguese

2.

WILLKOMMEN

German

3.

Arabic

4.

5. ho geldiniz

Bengali

Turkish

6.

Chinese

7.

Hindi

8.

Urdu

9.

Farsi

10.

Nepalese

Terms and Definitions

EAL - ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL

LANGUAGE

BME - BLACK MINORITY ETHNIC

ASR -

L1 -

ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE

FIRST LANGUAGE

Children of
medical staff at
Derriford

Children of
students at the
university

Refugees and
asylum
seekers
Children of mixed
nationality
marriages

EAL Pupils in
Plymouth
Schools

Children of
established
ethnic minority
communities
in Plymouth

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

CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS
OF GIRLS AND BOYS

School
Family

LACK OF BI-LINGUAL
RESOURCES

Educational
Setting

Child or Young
Person
Wider
World
EXPERIENCE OF
TRAUMATIC EVENTS

Community
LIMITED ACCESS TO
ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES

BARRIERS TO LEARNING FOR EAL STUDENTS

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

LACK OF MOTIVATION
SCHOOL OR
EDUCATIONAL LOW SELF-ESTEEM
LACK OF BI-LINGUAL RESOURCES
SETTING

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

It will be helpful to know this information

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.

The stages in learning a new language

Listening and absorbing. (Silent Period)

Responding to instructions.

Imitating and copying.

Trying out word phrases.

Naming words.

Action words.

Putting names and actions together.

Trying out whole sentences with mistakes.

Correcting mistakes themselves.

How Long Does It Take ?

1-2 years for BICS ( basic
interpersonal communication skills)
context embedded
5-7 years for CALPS (cognitive academic
language proficiency) context reduced
Ref: Jim Cummins (1984) Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

Teaching New Language

When learning new words, EAL pupils need to:
See them
Hear them
Read them

Write them
Put them in a sentence
Revise them
Use them in another context

According to Krashen three conditions are

necessary to promote language acquisition
Comprehensible input
where meaning is made clear through the use of
context clues (body language, visual support).

A stress-free environment
where the learner is able to take risks and learn
from mistakes as well as successes.

The right to be silent

where the learner is allowed time to listen and
tune in to the language before attempting to
speak

Instant Support Strategies

Draw pictures

Highlight key
part of sentence
structure
Label diagrams

Use the
internet Provide
opportunities
to practise key
words in
different
contexts.
Explain,
model
language

Listen attentively
to the child

Simplify text and

focus on key words

Develop bi-lingual
key vocabulary lists

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

Translate

Use a bilingual
or picture
dictionary

Use visual
aids

Make eye contact

Give time to plan and to talk

Cue them in

GEORGE

Help them sequence

Check understanding

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 pupils 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.