English as an Additional Language Primary Professional Development Service

Overview of day 1 first and second language acquisition role of the language support teacher English language proficiency benchmarks assessment case studies speaking and listening activities 2

Key messages The child’s culture and first language should be respected at home and in school. Assessment is most useful when it informs teaching and learning. Listening, speaking, reading and writing should be taught in an integrated manner.

Language acquisition and learning ‘In the classroom context language and learning are inextricably linked.’ First Steps Oral Language Resource Book, First Steps PD, p 199

First language acquisition Why? urge to communicate and interact When? age language exposure need to communicate How? words combine to make phrases combine to make sentences

Stages of first language acquisition Cooing Babbling First words One-word utterances Addition of morphemes Transformations Complex constructions

Second language acquisition Why? need to communicate and interact When? age of learner later - more intentional and conscious less time available How? not part of learner’s primary cognitive development (unless very young) develops in stages transfer of grammatical properties and skills from first language

Een appel is rood, den zon is geel den hemel is blauw een blad is groen een wolk is wit… en de aarde is bruin Welke kleur de liefde ?

Common underlying proficiency Surface features of L1 Surface features of L2 Cummins 1980

Second language acquisition: <7 years may experience silent phase

Silent Phase most learners begin their acquisition with this phase in which they speak very little if at all engage in private speech/‘self talk’ – important survival phrases and language chunks can last up to one year language is acquired subconsciously and informally. 11

Second language acquisition: <7 years may experience silent phase similar development to first language acquisition performance gap to others is minimal will develop grammar independently as the language improves may not have reading or writing skills in their first language.

Second language acquisition: >7 may experience silent phase and may use code- switching may have some interference from language transfer may have reading and writing skills in their first language are developing higher-order thinking skills need to develop capacity to think in English (inner-speech).

Importance of first language It is important that children experience a good model of language at home to aid cognitive development Use of the first language should be encouraged at home and in school.

Language proficiency Social/Conversational Language (formerly BICS) Academic Language Proficiency (formerly CALP)

Social/Conversational Language Academic Language Proficiency language of social interaction language of learning develops very quickly develops more slowly phonological/syntactic/ lexical skills in interpersonal contexts manipulate/reflect on language outside interpersonal contexts context-embedded context-reduced needs non-verbal support for understanding higher-order thinking and problem solving

Successful EAL provision The most successful learners are likely to be those who are constantly interacting with and through the target language, receiving and expressing meanings that are important to them Little, 1991

Principles of EAL teaching hands-on (contextualised) interactive collaborative purposeful practice discussion cross-curricular meaningful differentiation assessment recognition of diversity

Communicative approach the needs of the child communication realistic language functions provision of language child-centred content and materials active learning variety of activities and games

Let’s Rap! Up and down, and in front and behind and And around (2, 3) and around (2, 3) To my left, to my right, to my left, to my right. Touch your knees ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Tsshhhhhhhh (fading for 16) 20

Mapping activity Positional/Directional Language

Structure of the language lesson Pre-communicative Phase : - motivation, input and practice Communicative Phase: - role play, communication exercises and social interaction Post-communicative Phase : - analysis, identification, recycling

Principles of EAL teaching hands-on (contextualised) interactive collaborative purposeful practice discussion cross-curricular meaningful differentiation assessment recognition of diversity

Role of Language Support Teacher Circular 0053/2007 ‘In collaboration with parents and class teachers, language support teachers identify pupils requiring additional support, administer the assessment materials developed by Integrate Ireland Language and Training, devise appropriate language programmes, deliver the programmes and record and monitor pupils’ progress’.

Objective of language support The principal objective of the language support programme is to integrate the pupil as quickly as possible into all mainstream learning and activities of the school. Up and Away p. 20

Role of Language Support Teacher To promote the pupil’s development of English language proficiency in order that he/she can gradually gain access to the curriculum. To deliver a language programme which is based on the primary curriculum to prepare and support the child in : accessing classroom learning socialising with peers (Up and Away p. 5)

Organisation of support ‘It is recommended that pupils receive additional language support teaching in the classroom or in small withdrawal groups in addition to the support they receive from the class teacher’. Circular 0053/2007: Determined by the needs of the child

In-Class Support/Team Teaching Models of support Withdrawal Pupils are withdrawn in groups based on: age class level assessment of individual pupil’s needs. In-Class Support/Team Teaching Two or more teachers working together to plan, conduct and evaluate the learning activities for the same group of learners. A balanced approach between a withdrawal model and in-class support model is recommended.