I remember a lecture during my teacher training in which a lecturer stood at the front and with no explanation talked earnestly in gobbledygook for ten minutes. Along with the other students I was mystified, but we all sat listening politely completely confused by what was going on. At the end of the ten minutes, the lecturer announced in English that how we were feeling now is how a child with little or no English feels when they first arrive in an English speaking classroom. It was an effective lecture. It took place over 20 years ago, but I have never forgetten how bewildered I felt.
Throughout my teaching career, I have had a new child who speaks little or no English arrive in my classroom several times. Like any teacher, I've wanted to do my best for them as soon as possible. Noone likes the idea of a pupil experiencing a prolonged feeling of discomfort and confusion due to not understanding anything of what is being said. It is important to start building not only vocabulary, but also connections as soon as pupil with little or no English arrives. Here are seven strategies which teachers can use to do this.
1. Establish Proficiency Levels
In every school, a process should be in place to introduce new EAL learners - an organised induction programme.What this process should entail in totality is up to individual schools, but the arrival of a new EAL (or any) pupil should never be a suprise for the teacher. Prior to the child arriving in class, an allocated member of staff should have talked to the child and parents in order to establish basic information. These basics should include the child's name (ensuring proper pronounciation), general understanding of English, their academic level and other languages they speak. This information should be recorded and discussed with the teacher.
After a few weeks in the classroom, it should be possible to establish an EAL new beginner's English proficiency level. This can be done using the DFE guidance on proficiency levels provided below. Using this proficiency scale is not all complicated and does not involve formal assessments - it is simple a matter of teachers making a 'best-fit' judgement. Assessing a pupils English proficiency level provides a starting point from which progress can be measured. The government expectation is that the proficiency level of all EAL pupils is ascertained yearly; however, some schools choose to monitor EAL pupil progress on a termly basis.
This five-point EAL Proficiency Scale is taken from the the following government documentation: English proficiency of pupils with English as an additional language (February 2020)
Teaching staff are expected to use this scale to make a ‘best-fit’ judgement to assess EAL pupils’ proficency in English. See the full document for more details. The EAL materials available on this website are suitable for pupils working at levels A and B of the scale.
2. Develop Connections
Emphasis should be placed on helping newly arrived primary EAL pupils develop connections not only with other pupils, but also with members of staff. These pupils could be placed somewhere at the front of the class so they have easy access to the teacher. Alternatively, if there is a full-time teaching assistant in the class they might be placed close to where they commonly work. Consider giving newly arrived pupils communication fans to help them express basic needs. Click here to find some lovely communication fans with clear illustrations which will help new beginners communicate their needs.
Avoid picking just one child to be a buddy for a newly arrived limited English speaker. Many children will be initially enthusiastic about being chosen to be a buddy, but may quickly lose interest. It is quite a responsibilty for one child to be constantly checking another child is okay, particularly if there are communication difficulties. Selecting a number of buddies for a new arrival (or swopping their buddies regularly) reduces the scenario of them being abandoned after the first day. Teachers should monitor new arrivals for a while to see how they are getting on in the playground.
If new arrivals with limited English are able to read their home language, then having a chat via Google Translate is a great way for class members who are proficient in English to form bonds with them. Teachers might also use Google Translate to chat with or give instructions to pupils. See the video below to see how one teacher uses Google Translate.
Once new arrivals are feeling comfortable in class, I've found that a fun way to help them learn language is to to have them play flashcard games with their peers. This is a good activity to do during reading time. I ask different students to work the new arrival in order to give them the chance to meet and communicate with lots of members of the class. The school flashcards set below is available free from primary texts. Just click to download.
This flashcard set can be used to help newcomers memorise over 60 key words. To increase versatility, the set contains separate cards featuring both pictures and words. Cards are colour coded enabling them to be grouped so that teachers can focus on one set of words at a time. Pages containing empty 2 by 2 grids are included which can be used to help organise flashcards for a fun game of bingo.
Interested in finding more free EAL resources for new learners? Click the button below.
3. Teach Basic Vocabulary
It is common knowledge that people begin to assimilate new language after time. New arrivals are likely to pick up English without direct teaching, but this might take longer than many assume.
Early in my career, a child entered my new September class who had joined their previous class as a new arrival with no English six months ago. He had not received any direct English vocabulary teaching and possibly as a result, he was unable to speak any English. Despite the length of time he had been in the school, he did not know (or felt to shy to say) the names of common classroom items.
Early 1:1 or group interventions focused on teaching basic English vocabulary are likely to be very helpful to pupils with limited English. Timely direct teaching of English will give them a jumpstart.
Understanding basic vocabulary will enable pupils to make progress quickly, communicate with others and feel more comfortable in their surroundings.Primary Texts provides fun Newcomer Activity packs which include books, flashcards, worksheets which introduce vocabulary for a range of different topics. These packs are great for intervention.
The two shown below are available as free sample products and will help children learn key vocabulary related to school.
To view our full selection of newcomer activity packs, browse below. These packs are also available as part of a Newcomer Acivity Packs Bundle.
4. Encourage Independent Learning
Being able to work independently to develop understanding is an important part of the learning process. Here are some ways that newly arrived pupils can learn or reinforce their understanding of English language which require limited adult support.
- These English language learning workbooks from Primary Texts reinforce understanding of key vocabulary related to school, home and the environment. The workbooks can be used flexibly and contain activities that most pupils will be able to complete independently following initial explanation.
- BBC Bitesize has an extensive EAL section in which you can find themed videos and activities which are great for independent learning using a laptop or computer. Click the button below to view.
- LearnEnglishKids is the the children's section of the British Council's English language learning website. It features a selection of free online games, songs, stories and activities aimed at helping children learn English. The website contains lots of information for parents. It also has a paid section in which users can purchase English Courses.
5. Provide Visual Learning Materials
Linking images to words is a key way of developing understanding of language. Providing pupils with books which show words matched with pictures is an easy and effective way to build an EAL new learner's understanding of reading, writing and spelling in English. Usbourne's First Thousand Words in English is perfect for this purpose. DK Bilingual Visual Dictionaries match words in different languages with English words alongside illustrations. Accompanying audio is also available. Collins also provide a similar range.
6. Allow Time
Though providing appropriate support and resources will help EAL new learners along their English language learning journey, it is important to recognise that this learning will take time. EAL new arrivals will learn at different paces. It is quite normal for new arrivals to have a silent period whilst they acclimatise to their new environment. Many studies suggest that it takes several years for pupils new to English to become fluent.
If after several months a child appears to be making no or little progress, teachers may wish to assess whether this is due to EAL or something more. The document below contains useful advice for this situation.
7. Have a Policy in Place
EAL pupils should never be just placed into a classroom and left to sink or swim. This is just as true for schools who have many EAL pupils as it is to those who have few. Schools with lots of EAL pupils often have robust policies and procedures in place, but schools with few or no EAL pupils should ensure they have a policy in place too. The Bell Foundation contains extensive documentation related to supporting EAL pupils. To view their recommendations for writing an EAL policy or to check whether your policy could be improved upon, press the button below.
We hope you found this article useful and discovered tips and resource links which will help you to support those pupils with EAL who are new to English.
You may also be interested in this blog post: Top 5 Free Primary EAL Resources for New Learners
Looking for more resources to support primary English teaching? Visit the Primary Texts homepage and browse our full selection.
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