EAL and Academic Literacies Across the Curriculum

1. Kamil Trzebiatowski
EAL Coordinator, Newland School for Girls, Kingston-upon-Hull
EAL Academy Associate
TeachMeet Newcastle #TMIncl: 7 May 2015
Recognizing Academic Literacies:
Different Subject = Different Language
http://valuediversity-teacher.co.uk/

2. Study
skills
Academic
sociali-
zation
Academic
literacies
Three Approaches to Student Writing
in Academic Contexts
• Literacy mainly as individual and
cognitive skill
• Surface features of language forms
• Assumes students can transfer
their knowledge of writing/literacy
from one context to another
• Students are “acculturated” into
subject-based discourses
• Students acquire ways of
talking/writing thinking typical for
a subject
• Assumes that when students have
learned the rules of a subject, they
can use it unproblematically
• Concerned with meaning-making, authority,
power
• Literacy acquisition more complex, nuanced,
socially-based, including power relations between
people and institutions
Based on Lea, R. and Street, B. (2006) ‘The “Academic
Literacies” Model: Theory and Applications’, Theory into
Practice. Vol.45(4), pp. 368-377

3. Present Simple
Why no –s?
May/might/can/
could + verb
Where is the
SUBJECT???
Present simple (-s)
Where is the
SUBJECT???
May/might/can/
could + verb
Present Simple
(-s)
Passive voice
Passive voicePresent simple (-s)
Where is the SUBJECT???
Passive voice
CONFUSING TO AN EAL LEARNER
A TES Resources activity available at:
https://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/ks3-
geography--globalisation-11003632

4. Passive Voice
Passive Voice
Passive Voice
Passive Voice
Passive Voice
Passive Voice
Oh no! Why not “is
corroded?”
Why not “is lost”?
Oh no! Why not
“one problem is
faced”?
Passive Voice
And
suddenly it’s
all in
active
voice
Image from Fraser, Coppock and
Partridge (2003) Starting Science for
Scotland: Book Two

5. PAST
SIMPLE
PRESENT
SIMPLE
HOW DO I MAKE THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE?
Only 2 cases of passive
voice here!
Images from Shephard & Shephard (2007) Re-
discovering The Twentieth Century World: A
World Study After 1900.

6. Most people __________in their homes, usually under the stairs or in the ground-floor rooms. Thousands ______
Anderson shelters in their gardens. In London, underground train stations were ___________ places to shelter.
Londoners __________________ platform tickets and then ____________ in the stations for the rest of the night.
At first the government __________ to ban this, but as there ________________ not enough public shelters it
eventually _______________ to give in.
sheltered bought were tried Camped
were built had
Tasks:
1. Use the words in the box to fill in the gaps
2. Mark subjects in the text

7. What did they do in
their homes?
Thousands of who
did what?
What were popular
places?
What did the
Londoners buy?
Why did they have to
give in?
What did the
government try to
ban?
What did they do in
the stations?
Did they have to do this just once
or many times?
Underline the
subjects

8. Use your answers to write the diary
extract.
You can only use “I” or “we” for your
subjects.

9. Millions of tonnes of metals are used every year for many different jobs. They are used
for building cars and bridges (iron), making drink cans and food packaging (aluminium),
plumbing and electrical wires (copper) and making batteries (zinc). But they all face one
problem. That is corrosion.
We use millions of tonnes of metals every year for many different jobs.
Millions of tonnes of metals are used every year for many different jobs.
YOU CAN’T USE “WE” NOW

10. IRON ALUMINIUM COPPER
BUILDING BRIDGES BUILDING CARS
MAKING DRINK CANS FOOD PACKAGING
ELECTRICAL WIRES PLUMBING
MAKING BATTERIES
We use metals to
NOW WRITE ABOUT METALS BUT DON’T USE “WE”.

11. Sentence and paragraph
scrambler:
http://davidbrett.uniss.it/eLearningTools/paragra
ph%20scrambler.html
Gap-fill generator:
http://random-idea-
english.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/tools-gapfill-
generator.html
Cloze generator (removes
specific types of words):
http://l.georges.online.fr/tools/cloze.html
Total Cloze generator:
http://esl.fis.edu/learners/writing/misc/star1.htm
DO NOT
spend hours on this!

12. Maria is in a shop. She buys a hat for £3.99. Maria gives the shopkeeper a £5 note. The shopkeeper gives her
seven coins in change. What could these coins be?
Using the grid can you work out 5 possible combinations of seven coins which add up to £1.01?
Karen is making book shelves. She wants to make 3 shelves that are 1.25m long. She has a piece of wood that
is 5m long. What length of wood will be left over?
I buy 6 CDs costing £6.99. How much change do I get from £50?
Joe’s mum says he can invite 30 people to his party. So far, he has invited 9 boys and 12 girls. How many more
children can he invite?

13. Maria is in a shop. She buys a hat for £3.99. Maria gives the shopkeeper a £5 note. The shopkeeper gives her
seven coins in change. What could these coins be?
Using the grid can you work out 5 possible combinations of seven coins which add up to £1.01?
FIRST HALF SECOND HALF
She buys a £5 note.
Maria gives the shopkeeper a hat.
The shopkeeper gives her seven coins in change.
WHAT?

14. Entrepreneurs
The term entrepreneur has its origin in the French verb entreprendre meaning to undertake something. Entrepreneurs
were viewed as people taking risks.
An entrepreneur is a person who provides the initiative and takes the risk in establishing a new business to produce a
product or service.
An entrepreneur transfers an idea into an actual business that generates sales and profit. The entrepreneur brings
together and harmonises the other factors of production, land, labour and capital, to carry out the activity.
Entrepreneurs are characterised by their initiative in seeking out new opportunities, inventing new products and
services. They imagine, they create, they turn opportunities into businesses.
Entrepreneurs will usually invest some of their own money and take the risk associated with the investment. If the
business does not succeed the entrepreneur may lose some or all of that money. If the business is successful the
entrepreneur will make a profit.
They are usually self-confident, sure of their goals and of how to achieve them, action-oriented, with high energy
levels and a capacity to work with uncertain situations.

15. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the noodles following pack instructions.
Drain, rinse under cold running water to stop them cooking further, then drizzle over a
little oil to prevent them sticking together. Divide between 2 deep bowls.
Heat a wok over high heat and add the rest of the oil. When it starts to smoke, add the
ginger and chilli, then stir-fry for a few secs. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 mins. As
the meat starts to turn brown, add the rice wine and cook for 3 mins more. Add the
vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, then add the mushrooms. Season with the dark
soy, light soy and rice vinegar.
Bring back to a simmer, then add the cornflour paste. Simmer and stir until thickened.
Stir in the beansprouts and most of the spring onions, then ladle the soup over the
noodles. Serve immediately, scattered with the remaining spring onions.
_________a small pan of water to the boil and _________ the noodles following pack
instructions. _________, _________ under cold running water to stop them cooking
further, then _________ over a little oil to prevent them sticking together. _________
between 2 deep bowls.
_________ a wok over high heat and add the rest of the oil. When it starts to smoke,
_________ the ginger and chilli, then stir-fry for a few secs. _________ the chicken and
stir-fry for 2 mins. As the meat starts to turn brown, add the rice wine and cook for 3
mins more. _________ the vegetable stock, _________ to a simmer, then add the
mushrooms. _________ with the dark soy, light soy and rice vinegar.
BRING X2 DRAIN DIVIDE
DRIZZLE COOK SEASON
ADD X5 SEASON HEAT
LADLE SERVE STIR
IMPERATIVES

16. Substitution tables

17. 1. What language does your subject demand of your students?
2. How can you make your learners into thinking about this
language?
1. Barrier games?
2. Substitution tables?
3. Gap fills / clozes (with clues or without)?
4. Jumbled up sentences
5. Halves of sentences to be matched up?
6. Annotating your text with categories?
7. “Banning” your learners from using certain language?
Consider