Happy Polish Heritage Day to all our Polish families! We have celebrated in school with assemblies where children learned about Poland and learned how to say some Polish words and phrases. Children from different countries helped make a fantastic wall display and at Polish Club children made flags.
Our schools in Scotland are a growing multilingual environment, where each child should have the right to learn a second language or a third one according to the 1+2 approach to modern languages.
As a matter of fact, a school in Angus is piloting a project with a Parent Group of EAL ( English as an Additional Language) which one of aims is to ensure and explore parental engagement and support the use of other languages in the school. This project also includes consideration of the role of the students’ home language(s) as part of the process of language acquisition and development.
Our project is based on school integration and social participation of parents whose children have English as an additional language in a variety of activities, such as in the classroom, playground, assemblies or school events. We understand that parents’ participation affect children’s sense of identity, belonging and their ability to make friends and cope within the new culture and ethos of the school.
Having sampled four different languages, Polish, Russian, Sinhalese and Mandarin over four weeks the children are saying:
‘It is fun.’ ‘I enjoyed it.’ ‘I am looking forward to using the language.’ ‘I might use the words if I travel to Russia or if I meet a person who speaks the language in the school.’ ‘I felt hard how to pronounce the words’ ‘It was pretty cool.’ ‘It was tricky.’ ‘I feel pretty good sharing my language.’ ‘It is a good opportunity to learn Polish.’ ‘It is a good thing to have someone who speaks the language.’ ‘It is helpful to learn three languages.’
What are parents saying?
‘It’s very positive.’ ‘The pupils were smiling and trying to say the words.’ ‘I feel pleased to see that they were interested.’ ‘They were asking questions and they wanted to write their names in Russian.’ ‘It was amazing the questions pupils asked, ‘why do write different?,’ ‘how many letters are in Polish language?,’ ‘how many languages have you learned?’
And the teachers:
‘It was really good to have dual language books and read the same story in different languages. It is achievable and fits within 1+2 languages approach.’ ‘I enjoyed having mums in class. It gives you confidence as they can speak and read in their language and in English.’ ‘It is great to see the children so enthusiastic.’ ‘It made the class busy.’ ‘It was great to have more adults in class.’ ‘We had lots of fun.’ ‘It was exciting.’ ‘I felt relaxed.’ ‘I loved it.’ ‘It was flexible and met the interests of the pupils.’ ‘The text and the repetition of the words worked really well.’ ‘The pupils were able to pick up the language easily.’ ‘Pupils broadened their view of the world.’ ‘It is hands on through experience.’ ‘Now it is less alien to everyone.’
Research has shown that children learn better in their native language (Unesco, 2008a). Many educational systems in the world insist on adopting languages that are believed to have more privilege. As a consequence children are finding difficult to engage successfully with learning and the teachers are feeling overwhelmed by children’s poor achievement.
Unesco (2008b) attests growing interests in mother tongue-based education through a wide variety of models, tools and resources that have being developed and piloted to promote learning in children’s native language.
Unesco (2008a). Mother Tongue Matters: Local Language as a Key to Effective Learning. Paris: Unesco.
Unesco (2008b). Mother tongue instruction in early childhood education: A selected biography. Paris: Unesco.
The EAL Guidelines are based on:
Education Single Equality Policy Angus Council
HMIe Inclusion and Equality Part 4:
Evaluating Educational Provision for bilingual Learners (2006)
SEALCC (Scottish EAL Coordinating Council)
SEALCC Evidence of Good Practice in Supporting Bilingual Learners
Follow all instructions given by all staff and prefects
Proszę przestrzegać wszystkich instrukcji podanych przez pracowników i prefektów
Sekojiet visam personala un vaditaju instrukcijam
Выполняйте указания всех сотрудников школы и префектов
Lean na h-òrdaich air a thoirt le luchd-obrach agus sgoilearan sna àrd-ìrean
تمام ملازمین اور سینئر طلباء کی طرف سے دی گئی ہدایات پر عمل کریں
English as an Additional Language has piloted e-portfolio on Glow as a tool to support the transition from Primary to Secondary School in the context of EAL, and to better evaluate the use of technology as an inclusive practice in the learning process.
In line with the guidance set by The Scottish Government, e-portfolio on Glow is an initiative in our local authority. Building the Curriculum 5 provides advice on developing learners’ profiles at the key transition points of Primary seven (P7) and Secondary third year (S3). The profile format may vary whenever a change is required leading to the next stages of learning.
The use of e-portfolio in the context of EAL will offer different means of communication and expression for pupils to present their own culture and background knowledge. It can reveal the ability to capture, review and manage a large amount of material. In addition, it offers flexibility, dynamic for integration, opportunities to develop and demonstrate technology skills through samples of the pupil’s work such as, photographs, videos, audio clips, projects, research and assessments. Furthermore, the e-portfolio will provide opportunities to develop ownership and show more interest in the culture in which the additional language resides. It is a way to demonstrate learners’ creativity with different emerging skills and reflect about choices to break down the barriers for learning. Teachers can access information about their pupils’ learning development, thereby also offering an opportunity for parents to appreciate the improvement.
Forfar Academy is committed to promoting inclusion for pupils whose first language is not English. In school, the EAL Co-ordinator works closely with the Visiting EAL teacher to ensure appropriate assessment and provision for the pupils in mainstream education.
At present we have a number of pupils whose home language is Polish, Latvian, Russian and Urdu. Some of these pupils have come straight into secondary education from their home country with little practice of spoken English.
To help them settle into their new environment they have been making multilingual signs to display around the building. Parents and staff have been working with pupils to ensure the translations are accurate! Basic information and instructions such as “Walk around school in an orderly manner” or naming important rooms such as “Sick Bay” or the “Assembly Hall” are now displayed in six languages: English, Gaelic, Polish, Latvian, Russian, and Urdu each with the appropriate national flag beside it. The EAL pupils say “it helps us feel comfortable in our new school”, “it helps us learn new language” and “it makes us feel happy in school”. Faculties are now considering ways of using multilingual signs in their departments to help our EAL pupils learn basic information and follow classroom rules.
SQA ESOL qualifications are being delivered for the first time at Forfar Academy which teachers have commented is making a big difference to them accessing the mainstream curriculum. Pupils are learning phrases for Everyday Communication, Transactional Language and language for Work and Study.
A lunchtime club for EAL pupils and their friends as well as creating dual language letters to send home to parents about absence notes, homework and behaviour are all further examples of initiatives taking place in Forfar to make EAL pupils feel more at ease in their new school.
Nepalese dance performed in Bharatiya Ashram, Indian Cultural Centre, Dundee.
Inclusion involves removing barriers to participation and learning. We believe in equal opportunity for all children, respecting diversity in race, gender, disability, religion, culture and age.
Importance of EAL in a recent Scottish Government report ‘ Language Learning in Scotland : A 1+2 Approach’
A Language Working Group was set up by the SNP Government to take forward their manifesto pledge to implement in schools the EU 1+2 model of plurilingual citizens. It contains reference to EAL (see below).It also includes a recommendation that student teachers should undertake some study of pedagogy associated with additional language learning.
English as an additional language
9. It is recommended elsewhere in this report that a 1+2 languages delivery will mean substantial enhancement of the role of EAL within schools and staff working within EAL will be central to 1+2 delivery. This will involve both qualified teachers and support staff working within EAL . Much important work has already been undertaken in Scotland in delivery of EALand in developing the qualifications and roles of staff working within the sector. However, it is a service which is itself frequently vulnerable at a time of budgetary reductions. The Group is of the view that EAL work and delivery should be incorporated within a policy of 1+2 delivery in schools and should be protected and developed as part of the roll-out of that policy.
