2. Immersion and inclusion
• The learning of English for pupils learning EAL takes place
as much in science, mathematics, ICT and the foundation
subjects as it does in English or literacy lessons.
• It also takes place within the ‘hidden curriculum’, and
beyond the school and is affected by attitudes to race
and culture in the wider society.
• If EAL were a separate subject (like a modern foreign
language) the point for learners would clearly become
learning a language but for pupils learning EAL in
mainstream classrooms in England this is not the case.
3. The EAL learner’s task is to Average pupil
progression
English ‘catch up’ from a different
language starting point. If this does not
learning
required for happen by the end of KS1, the
school task may become increasingly
attainment difficult.
Required EAL
progression
Lower EAL
progression
FS KS1 KS2 KS3 KS4
4. Remember…
• There is no cognitive reason for EAL pupils not
to learn and to achieve. If pupils are unable to
access your lesson due to language, you
should aim to teach the words and structures
they need to access your lesson.
• If EAL pupils feel “lost” in your lessons,
confidence will be undermined and progress
in English will be slower.
5. Give them a job
• Ask EAL pupils to hand out books, collect in
home learning and clean the board.
• This improves self-esteem and confidence as
they feel able to contribute to the group.
6. Use their language
• Beginner EAL learners can complete work in
their own language.
• This pushes them cognitively and encourages
them to learn in your subject.
7. Talking
• Planning plenty of whole class/small group
speaking and listening exercises enables them
to hear more of the language in context.
• They may choose not to join in but hearing
language in a specific context will help them
learn the language they need and they may be
more inclined to contribute in a smaller group.
• If they can’t say it, they can’t write it.
8. Pictures
• If your lesson is on the interactive white board
try to include a picture on the slide which will
offer clues to the topic of the slide or may
define some of the key words- this benefits all
learners.
9. Give them a buddy
• If there is someone else in the group who
speaks their language, buddy them up so that
the other pupil can provide some help in their
home language when needed.
