Many new arrivals from overseas have English as an additional language (EAL) needs. They may speak, understand or be literate in more than one language and may have some experience of English but will require support to acquire fluency in English and to access the curriculum.
 
Factors such as age, previous experience of schooling and curriculum content, knowledge of other languages and levels of literacy in their first or other languages will all impact on the development of pupils’ language skills and their ability to apply these skills to their learning across the curriculum.

Some pupils may be new to spoken and written English. Others may have learned English as a foreign language, or not be fluent in English even if they come from education systems where English is the medium of instruction. They may also be unfamiliar with the Roman alphabet. Some new arrivals may have had extensive experience of education while others may have had none. The 'Children with little or no education' area of this website offers guidance on this.

All pupils, including newly arrived pupils from overseas, have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum. The 'Planning for inclusion' area of this site gives further guidance on steps schools can take to support the curriculum induction of new arrivals, including pupils who do not speak, read or write English.

New arrivals learning English as an additional language need to access the curriculum as quickly as possible. This can be supported by the use of pupils’ first languages with peers and bilingual staff and by the provision of appropriate bilingual books and materials to support the learning. At the same time pupils have to acquire English for both social and academic purposes. Provision of support by EAL staff and ensuring the pupils’ engagement in active learning across the curriculum are effective ways of supporting the acquisition of English language skills.

The 'Modifying and adapting the curriculum' area provides guidance on supporting the inclusion of new arrivals with EAL. English learning that takes place in the context of curriculum learning needs careful planning. 

By identifying new arrivals’ prior knowledge and learning skills and by assessing their level of language development, you can set appropriate learning objectives and adjust teaching styles to facilitate pupils’ access to learning. The 'Initial assessment' area of this site provides guidance on this.

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Planning

When planning, you can support new arrivals’ learning of English by:

• considering how to inform the pupil of the learning journey the class has already undertaken, identifying skills the pupil may also have developed
• developing a variety of strategies for differentiating objectives
• being aware of the background experience and language profile of the EAL pupil in order to identify variables that might affect progress
• being aware of and understanding pupils' prior knowledge or level of skills
• having high expectations
• analysing the language and cognitive demands of lesson content at vocabulary, syntax and discourse levels, and having an understanding of how they can be used to promote language as well as content learning
• planning collaborative work with contextual support, including guided and supported group work
• providing ample opportunities for pupils to hear good models of a range of styles and registers of English
• providing opportunities for talk, whilst being aware that pupils with EAL may need time before being able or confident to engage in speaking
• carefully scaffolding reading activities, for example using paired reading and directed activities related to texts (DARTs). For more information about why DARTs are useful for bilingual learners visit the Portsmouth EMAS website
• preparing to teach language skills explicitly, including demonstrating grammar conventions, with opportunities to practise language use
• preparing tasks that are clear, purposeful, practical and that build on prior knowledge. Pupils can be engaged in practical activities with users of English that match the pupils’ language-development needs
• planning with specialist or other support staff for their effective deployment. This may involve planning whole-class, small group and individual learning activities, or planning to provide pre-teaching or tutoring. For example, support staff may work with pupils before the lesson to introduce and practise language, discuss concepts, read text to be used in the lesson and clarify meanings
• preparing resources that support the development of pupils’ English language skills and understanding, including visuals and key visuals or graphic organisers (for example timelines, tree diagrams, flow charts, tables, graphs, pie charts and cycle diagrams) to support understanding of key words and concepts, a supportive print environment that is visible and related to the topic of study, including bilingual labels and dictionaries if appropriate and culturally relevant resources to increase motivation and involvement.

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Teaching strategies

When teaching, staff can use a range of strategies to support English language acquisition by:

• activating peer support
• supporting pupils’ understanding by continually introducing, explaining and illustrating key vocabulary related to subject content
• scaffolding writing tasks, for example modelling writing action (such as correct letter formation), matching, sequencing, providing writing frames and word banks
• scaffolding oracy, for example using frameworks for talking and active listening tasks
• modelling oral and written language to support acquisition
• using ICT programs to support language skills and to reinforce learning
• regularly monitoring pupils’ understanding in ways that do not involve the use of English only
• exploiting previously used language to activate prior knowledge and link to pupils' experience
• integrating speaking, listening, reading and writing in English, and using one language skill to support and reinforce another
• reinforcing language learning and understanding through repetition, highlighting vocabulary learnt, summarising and recording what has been learnt and creating opportunities to revisit key concepts through questioning
• encouraging pupil responses and promoting interaction using different forms of questioning: closed and open, concrete and abstract, and higher-order questions
• using culturally accessible learning materials
• ensuring each pupil experiences success, for example through differentiation including the differentiation of homework tasks.
• promoting thinking and talking in first languages to support understanding.

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Pupils should be encouraged to use their first language in lessons when:

• the cognitive challenge is likely to be high
• they are still developing proficiency in English
• oral rehearsal will help reflection.

To facilitate pupils using their first language you may:

• have additional support for EAL learners
• be able to use the expertise of the EMA teacher in school or in the LA to help you plan ways in which pupils learning EAL can reach their maximum levels of attainment
• be able to group EAL learners who share a home language. Such pupils may be able to support each other’s understanding through the use of their first language to explore concepts and ideas before moving into the use of English
• use visual clues and resources to help make the meaning clearer
• highlight key words and give them to the pupil in English and in their home language.

As with all learners, pupils learning EAL should be encouraged to become increasingly independent in their learning. If a pupil appears fluent in social English it is still important to plan carefully for language development so the pupil can manage the literacy demands of curriculum subjects.

The national strategies are intended to provide newly arrived pupils with positive experiences of learning English as an additional language with focused attention on language learning.

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Primary National Strategy EAL Programme
An EAL programme within the Primary National Strategy has been introduced led by two Regional Directors. This programme involves provision of EAL consultants in 21 Local Authorities (LAs) who each work with 10 schools to develop an intensive professional development programme for mainstream staff involving up to 8 sessions during one academic year. 42 LAs are also participating in the EAL project as associate LAs.

It is intended that the work of the programme will support improvement in the standards of attainment in English and mathematics of bilingual learners by drawing on, developing and disseminating existing knowledge and understanding of bilingualism, and EAL pedagogy and practice.

Pupils with EAL who may have special educational needs

There may be concern at the lack of information about any particular or special needs a new arrival might have, especially if previous school records are unavailable.

Sensitive and careful assessment can distinguish between pupils who have additional language-learning needs and those who also have special educational needs.

All new arrivals are entitled to a secure learning environment that promotes access to, and engagement in, the curriculum. Some pupils learning EAL may later be assessed as having special educational needs. In these cases, teachers and specialist language staff would work closely with the special educational needs coordinator to ensure that assessments provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their learning using all their language skills.

Case studies

Various websites provide case studies that may be of practical help when planning for the teaching of pupils with EAL, for example the DCSF Standards site and the NALDIC site.

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