EAL - English as an Additional Language
What is English as an Additional Language (EAL)?
Our school is experienced in welcoming children from all around the world. Whilst some of our students are already proficient in English, others have a different home language than English and/or are only beginning to develop their English skills in a school context. These children are supported by our EAL teachers in small groups to help them acquire the English language skills necessary to access the full curriculum.
Our EAL teachers (Pamela & Sara) work in small groups with children from groups 3-8. They also collaborate with class teachers to support them with EAL in the classroom.
Note: Children from groups 0-2 do not receive EAL support from the EAL teachers; younger children acquire language through play and appropriate early years curriculum learning in the classroom situation.
How is EAL taught and what method is used to support an English learner?
New children who are possible candidates for EAL support will be assessed during the first few weeks. If a child is referred to EAL, parents will be informed directly by either Pamela or Sara. The children learn English in context so that they can understand the relevance of their new language skills. Our classroom and EAL teachers also use translanguaging to connect your child’s languages and allow them to learn academically whilst learning English.
What can I do to support my child’s language development?
Research shows that the best way to support language development is to continue to develop home language skills. It is therefore beneficial for parents to keep talking to their children in their home language as it supports the development of their personal and academic register in both languages.
It is also important for students to rest and participate in social activities after school. However, there are also great benefits in helping children develop an interest in the language and motivate them further by providing them with fun and motivating material to read in English. Tuning into English websites and videos (under supervision) at home is also a good option.
The booklet below gives more information about translanguaging and includes advice for parents of bilingual or multilingual children.
Our EAL policy can be found here