Supporting Students With English As An Additional Language Produced as part of the Partnership Development Schools (PDS) Strategy Phase (Lead PDS: The Park Community School. Contact Chris Ley

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

প্রেসিডে ন্ট Portuguese German رحب. Turkish Chinese Hindi Urdu Farsi Nepalese BEM - VINDOS WILLKOMMEN Arabic 欢迎 Bengali hoş geldiniz پاکستان هلمند गिरिजाप्रसाद साइमंड्स

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'distinctive task  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 EXPECTATIONS OF 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 OR EDUCATIONAL 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 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 Language When learning new words, EAL pupils need to: See them Hear them Hear them Read them Read them Write them Write them Put them in a sentence Revise them Revise them Use them in another context Use them in another context

 Comprehensible input where meaning is made clear through the use of context 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 silent where the learner is allowed time to listen and tune in to the language before attempting to speak

Explain, model language Instant Support Strategies Draw 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.