Working with EAL Students

2. Working with EAL Students Louise Prior, SCL (English Whole School) Date: 22/08/ 2013 Induction Week

3. Educator and author, George Sampson's words from 1922 remain so relevant today: “Every teacher in English is a teacher of English, and all our pupils will benefit from a consistent approach.” (Geoff Barton)

4. Aims To consider second language acquisition by: • Exploring barriers • Looking at how we can support the learning and understanding of EAL students • Using strategies and tools to ensure students’ needs are being met

5. Task: Exploring Barriers to Learning

7. SRS Students are not a homogenous (same) group • Many students born in UAE and other Arabic countries but enter school having limited experience of literacy in their own mother tongue and in English as their second language • Their school careers, life experiences and family backgrounds are wide and varied - many do not speak English in the home. • Within secondary classroom there is a tremendous diversity in students’ ability and oracy and literacy skills.

8. Some things SRS students say • “You want me to open/close the light?” Missing out the auxiliary verb ‘Do’? And using ‘open’ in wrong context. • “We go now?” instead of ‘Will we’ or ‘we will’. Translating literally from Arabic instead of using English skills. • You will find students punctuate their sentences with Arabic phrases such as ‘Yani’ and ‘Wallah’ … encourage students at all times to talk English in BC classes.

9. Specific information about students in your classroom enables you to support them better Most of this student data is available either on SIMS or on your class sets/lists • Country of origin • First language • Education History • Current Working Levels • Ethnicity • IEPs You should use this to inform your planning and differentiation. It is expected that you keep records and use this in your formal Lesson Observations.

10. Multi-sensory learning within the Classroom When learning new vocabulary students need to Use them in another context See them Write them Hear them Put them in a sentence Read them Revise them

11. Instant Support Strategies Translate Use visual aids Use bilingual or picture dictionary glossaries mindmap Listen attentively to student Explain , model language Use the internet Simplify texts & focus on key words Label diagrams Draw pictures

12. Using Point, Quote, Explain (PQE) - Modelling Answers & Paragraphs How to SUMMARISE Select key words in the question and circle them Underline the key features from the passage that relate to the question Make sure that you find at least 8 points Mark each of them with a number Answer in a paragraph using a topic sentence relating to the question Reword (where possible) the main point from the chosen features In your OWN words Sequence using Firstly, Secondly, Moreover, Finally or other suitable link phrase Express yourself using third person, present tense, formal tone and accurate spelling & punctuation. NO introduction or conclusion required • Emilie and her Grandfather show great kindness to Joey and Topthorn. They tend to their wounds and make sure that the horses have food, warmth and shelter. “It was little Emilie and her Grandfather who insisted they should look after us. They rubbed us down and saw to our sores and bruises. They fed us, watered us, and groomed us and somehow always found enough straw for a nice warm bed.” Expressions such as “look after”, “rubbed us down”, “saw to” tell us how gently the horses were treated. Other evidence is the “fed us, watered us”, “groomed us” and “warm bed”. This shows how Emilie and her Grandfather welcomed the horses and made them comfortable. This reminds us of how ….. PointQuote and Explanation SYNONYM STARTERS FOR KEY WORDS

13. Further support strategies • Learning Objectives need to be clear, concise and specifically linked to the success criteria and skills eg: L/O To be able to solve a linear equation with unknowns on both sides using the balancing method. • Highlight key parts of sentence structure – verbs, nouns, subject • Pre-teach words and given them emphasis through voice tone • Provide opportunities to practise words through different contexts • Use visual organisers, tables, charts, writing frames and diagrams • Provide word banks or clouds to support language • Use Learning Mentors or colleagues (if team teaching) to visually harvest learning

14. Classroom Strategies Give time to plan and to talk Cue them in – know their names Create opportunities for groupwork Abdullah Encourage oracy Make eye contact Check understanding

16. In his text, Don’t call it Literacy, “Our most effective teachers will, as well as knowing their subject, have used the specialised vocabulary of their subject: its one way that we will have identified them as experts. Yet this in itself isn’t enough. Great teachers don’t just use big words. Its about teaching – not just using – the specialist vocabulary of our subject.”

17. “Its about knowing the key vocabulary, the nouns, verbs and connectives, that help us to express our knowledge in the language of the expert or enthusiast.”

18. Key Points to Remember • Bilingualism is an asset. • The first language is key to an EAL pupil’s identity, learning and acquiring an additional language. “If they speak in broken English, it’s because they know another language.” • Mental challenge can and should be kept appropriately high through the provision of linguistic tools and contextual support. • Language acquisition goes hand in hand with cognitive skills (perception, reasoning, rationalising, evaluating … higher order thinking) and academic development with an inclusive curriculum as the context.

19. Useful Links/Websites • http://tmenglish.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181:5-ways-to-give-positive-feedback&catid=12&Itemid=134 • http://www.creativeeducation.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/02/developing-the-writing-skills-of-eal-students/ • http://www.languageswithoutlimits.co.uk/eal.html#ESOL • http://worditout.com/