EAL in the Schools

Recognise the prior achievement of all children and their families and their contribution to school life and ethos. It should be ensured that an age appropriate placement is made in line with Authority procedures.

Language Line is an instant telephone interpretation service, adopted by Angus Council (for use in an emergency or for brief meetings telephone: 08452 777 778).

Anti-bullying policies and procedures for the reporting of racist incidents should be followed to.

Ensure that all pupils admitted to school from another country become registered with a doctor.

Use the appropriate HMIe Quality Indicators to ensure equality of opportunity for bilingual pupils to access the curriculum.

The Role of the School

An introductory welcome meeting should be held to provide information for parents and their children; through an interpreter if required. The EAL teacher can assist with this.

The Enrolment Guidelines are recommended to schools at the time of enrolment of a bilingual learner.  This information is designed to ensure effective communication between parents and schools.

In nursery and primary school the Head Teacher or a member of the management team, with a remit for pupil support, should manageEAL Induction and monitor pupil progress . In secondary this is likely to be the PT Additional Support Needs or the PT Pupil Care and Support.

The Role of EAL Teacher

In supporting young people with EAL (English as an Additional Language) we aim to:

  • assist schools in developing a planned approach to induction and inclusion support;
  • advise schools on pupil placement, teaching strategies, transitions, curriculum differentiation, resources and assessment;
  • provide support and advice to schools as they develop their capacity to manage and sustain continued improvement with a particular focus on the progress and achievement of bilingual learners;
  • work with schools to ensure equality of opportunity for bilingual pupils to access the curriculum, with reference to HMIe Quality Indicators;
  • advise schools about alternative assessments and, where necessary, support schools in preparing pupils for SQA ESOL examinations which may be required for entrance to university.

 

 

EAL in Action

The EAL team supports Primary and Secondary schools in Angus, based on the national document Learning in 2 + Languages.

Following the 5 Stages of English Language Acquisition, the team prioritises those at Stages 1 and 2.  The support and advice may be provided for those at Stage 3 onwards through a collaborative programme with schools. This will be recorded using the EAL Support Agreement Form’ as the implementation of good practice in schools.

EAL Introduction

People who speak more than one language are described as bilingual. We acknowledge that English is their second or additional language. However the term bilingual does not imply an equal proficiency in two or more languages.

We acknowledge that being bilingual is an advantage. Knowledge of concepts in L1 (native language) can be transferred to L2 (second language).

The acquisition of English as an additional language is best achieved through the normal activities of the classroom with support and differentiated tasks.

Supporting bilingual learners is the responsibility of all staff as part of an inclusive practice.  The EAL Team can be contacted for support and advice.

EAL Aims

The EAL team aims to encourage inclusive educational support for young people with EAL in primary and secondary schools through liaison with school staff.

Every young person with EAL should be supported to reach their potential in a friendly, caring environment,  so that they can develop confidence, responsibility and independence in language through integration and inclusion in the mainstream.

We aim to foster good relationships within schools and encourage them to enable young people with EAL to play their part in the school community in order to  be effective contributors to society.

Languages for Life

Language for Life is about language diversity. It provides guidelines for educational establishments that are seeking to promote the confidence of bilingual children in their own linguistic ability and language use. It also considers how language diversity provides a rich resource for all learners as they explore what language is, how it is used, and how it contributes to their understanding of the world.

It is intended to be read in conjunction with Learning in 2(+) Languages .The purpose of this document is to identify good practice in supporting children who are accessing the curriculum through English as an additional Language (EAL).

EAL Support

What support can EAL (English as an Additional Languages) teachers offer?

1-Advice on enrolment, class and group setting, initial assessment, planning, attainment and achievement.

2-Provide and recommend resources. We may be able to suggest ways of making them more accessible.

3- EAL CPD (Continuous Professional Development) on general support strategies and or individual needs.

4-Strongly recommend the documents: Learning in 2(+) Languages and EAL Guidelines.

5-Support in class, observation, consultation, meeting with parents.

This blog aims to encourage inclusive education support for learners with English as an Additional Language.

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