Mixin Classes in Odoo 17 How to Extend Models Using Mixin Classes
Supporting Children with EAL
1. Supporting Children with English
as an Additional Language
Christine Booth and Shipa Chowdhury
Early Years Leader and Bilingual Assistant
Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS)
2. What do you think?
•
It is best to treat everyone the same so there is no discrimination
•
It may take an EAL learner 5 or more years to acquire English to the same
level as their monolingual peers
•
Speaking another language interferes with learning English
•
EAL learners should only speak English at school and speaking English at
home will really help
•
EAL is a special need
•
An intial period of silence when learning a language is quite normal and can
be beneficial
•
Code-switching (moving between one language to another) is often
beneficial to children learning. It should not be discouraged
3. Bilingualism is an asset, and the first language has a continuing
and significant role in identity, learning and the acquisition of
additional languages.
Supporting Children Learning English as an Additional Language; guidance for practitioners in the Early Years
Foundation Stage (2007)
Download pdf from www.naldic.org.uk
4. Guiding Principles
• Children from diverse backgrounds need to
feel secure, safe and included in school
• Bilingualism is an asset, with the first
language having a continuing role to
play in identity and learning
• Intervention and support focused on
addressing achievement gaps – ‘closing the
gap’
5. The diversity of EAL students
•
•
•
•
•
•
Diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
Different educational experiences
Different background experiences
Different emotional contexts
Transferable skills in L1
Part of a community or an
isolated learner
7. What does EMAS do?
• Central Service
• Team of teachers, bilingual
assistants and home
liaison officers
• Work with families
• Promote home language
• INSET
• Multi agency work
• Monitor achievement
8. EAL acquisition
• ‘Silent period’ –
Stephen Krashen
• Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
(BICS) - Jim Cummins 2 years plus
• Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
(CALP) - 5-7 years
9. Some strategies for a positive start
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Welcoming body language
Good visual support
Repetition
Slow, clear and simple speech
Think about when and how to give information
Allocate a buddy or key person
Find out as much as you can about the child and
family and the language/s they speak
Learn key words in a child’s home language
Spend time with the child and parent together
Give things a family can take away and look at
e.g.photo
Allow children to be observers
Have high expectations of the children but allow
time
10. New arrivals in
primary/secondary
Buddy up new
arrivals with strong
language and
behaviour models ,
or someone who
shares their
language.
Help new arrivals to
settle in and start to
socialise with
peers.
Students learn from
other students.
Use group work to help EAL
students hear positive
English language models.
Think about grouping and
setting – Vygotsky’s ZPD.
12. It is important to pre-teach
vocabulary
Provide children
with a list of words
and phrases
appropriate for use
in a writing task.
13. Recasting
Children may remain in their comfort zone
when developing EAL.
A way to avoid this is recasting.
If a child gives an answer or statement
that is grammatically incorrect, praise
them for the content of their answer
and then recast it to them as the prefix
to a follow-up question.
e.g.
‘We play football yesterday’
‘You played football yesterday…..tell me
who you played with.’
14. Back to start
Thinking Time
This allows all children to
reflect on questions and
content.
Children learning EAL may
further benefit from the
extended time for processing.
Give children time to rehearse
their answer
Build thinking time into the
lesson – “30 seconds silent
thinking from now.”
15. Model Speaking and Listening
• Model speaking and
listening exchanges.
• This could be done
with another adult or
with a child.
• Teach the importance
of active listening.
16. Allow time to observe others and
rehearse
• Think about where you
position children at circle
time
• Children need lots of
repetition e.g. core
rhymes and stories
• Look for opportunities for
children to talk 1-1 with
adult or in role-play
• Keep cognitive challenge
high
17. Back to start
Providing a mirror and a window
Planning and resources should
reflect the cultural experiences
of the children in the class and
provide positive experiences of
diversity and promote
inclusion.
Ensure lesson starters are
culturally familiar to all
children. This will help engage
and motivate EAL learners
from the beginning.
18. Pictures speak louder than
words
Use ‘Key visuals’ , i.e.
diagrams, charts, grids,
tables, flow charts,
graphs, mind maps. Use
real objects where
possible for younger
children.
Makaton and a visual
timetable are very
helpful.
19. What support?
•
It is November. It is Fatima’s first day in Y4. She has recently come from
Afghanistan with her mum and dad and three younger siblings. She is very
distressed
•
Maia has just started nursery. She was born in the UK and speaks Polish at
home. Likes to play on the bikes and in the sand. Has only just settled.
Does not interact with adults or children. Speaks in single words in first
language and English
•
Rabi is Bangladeshi. He is in Y2. He is good at speaking English. He is
below expected levels in reading and writing
•
Ho Yi is Chinese. Her mother is at university. She is now entering Y1. She
was newly arrived in Reception. She is quite shy, but had bilingual support
in Reception and spoke very fluently in Mandarin. Her EYFSP scores were
slightly below expected levels
20. Top Tips
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make your classroom a welcoming place
Work with the family and other agencies
Encourage first language
Use visuals eg. visual timetable
Plan for talk
Model and scaffold
Be language aware
Provide concrete examples
21. Teaching Practice Task
• What is the system for supporting children with EAL in
the school?
• Find out the languages spoken in your class/ the school
• Are there any children receiving EMAS support? What
do they receive?
• Identify a ‘language aware’ teacher. What strategies to
they use?
• Be language aware in your lesson planning and teaching
• Look at how the learning environment supports children
acquiring English
• How do the school monitor achievement of children with
EAL?
22. EMAS are on facebook.
Please like our page:
https://www.facebook.com/BrightonHoveEMAS
