Key Points About EAL Pupils and Key Stage 3

KEY POINTS ABOUT EAL PUPILS AT KEY STAGE 3

Peta Ullmann

April, 2004.

The advice provided is based on guidance produced by DfES in a series of booklets entitled Access and Engagement.

Key Points about EAL Pupils and Key Stage 3

Mathematics

EAL pupils are generally underestimated about what they can do when they are new to English.

Good models of spoken English in relation to the language of mathematics are important. Therefore, grouping and setting arrangements should be considered very carefully.

Time for listening, oral exchange and supportive repetition is also essential.

Instructions need to be clear, demonstrative, exemplified (sometimes with reference to other pupils’ actions/work) with key words stressed (and displayed).

Key visuals for EAL learners at all stages of English language acquisition.

Translation & interpretation of key vocabulary & phrases.

Picture cues on written materials, e.g. charts, problem questions, tables, graphs, worksheets, etc.

Use of peer group talk and collaborative tasks.

Instructions given clearly and simply and reinforced through examples and demonstration.

Pre-task preparation.

Post-task reinforcement.

Reinforcement of key language (& concepts) through board games and computer software.

Time needed for early stage learners to watch & listen rather than to orally participate. They can often demonstrate their understanding through non-verbal responses.

The language of symbols and operations are taught explicitly.

Basic vocabulary is taught to new pupils, e.g. numbers, ordinals, fractions, days of the week, months of the year, dates, analogue time, shapes,

Measures, decimals, graphs, etc.

Use of whiteboard and OHP to give further examples and models.
Use of writing frameworks to scaffold pupils’ description of method and conclusions.

Provide support staff with information about the Framework and future lessons. Also give them course materials and worksheets. Ensure they are clear about the learning objectives of lessons and what their role will be in supporting EAL learners. During whole class work, support staff should be prepared to explain particular questions and instructions. They should help the pupil towards offering a response (either oral or non-verbal) through gentle prompting. They will also be used to help pupils interpret instructions correctly and respond appropriately. They can reinforce key points and use questions to elicit the pupils’ level of understanding. They can provide additional support to clarify meaning through key visuals and the use of concrete objects. They can model particular uses of language both orally and in the written form. They can contribute to an overall assessment of pupils’ strengths, weaknesses, needs and general level of understanding.

Science

EAL pupils are generally underestimated about what they can do and what they understand when they are new to English.

Reading and writing difficulties can slow down many EAL pupils significantly and they will need regular help to couch their ideas in the appropriate form when writing.

Key words, e.g. names of equipment, names of materials, verbs to describe processes, adjectives to describe properties, etc. should be introduced carefully and reinforced regularly.

Lists of key words with accompanying visuals helps to support the pupils’ understanding.

Bilingual dictionaries & electronic translators.

Use of visual materials; e.g. wall displays, labelled diagrams, pictures, charts, etc.

Writing frames with a list of vocabulary/phrases to be used.

Instructions are demonstrated and exemplified for practical tasks. Summaries of findings can also be captured through diagrams, flow charts and pictures.

Visuals accompany texts on charts, diagrams, graphs, etc.

Group work whereby EAL pupils are placed with good language and role models.

Use of ICT to reinforce both concepts and key language.

Time for pupils to watch and listen before orally participating.

Pupils need to learn basic vocabulary, e.g. time, numbers, symbols, verbs associated with actions & processes, names of materials, adjectives associated with properties, prepositional language, etc.

Homework tasks should be scaffolded. E.g. writing frames, gap fillers, labelling tasks, drawing, translation of key words, diagrams, etc.

Regular use of demonstrations, practical activities and reference to concrete materials.

Use of games, puzzles and computer software to reinforce learning.

Interpreting and translation support.

English

Pupils will need to hear texts read aloud and many will not be able to take part in the reading aloud of most texts when in the early stages. They will, however, benefit from such listening opportunities. Pupils in the early stages need to learn about the rhythm, stress and intonation patterns of spoken English as well as grammar and meaning.

Pupils will need to develop basic mechanical skills as readers of English (awareness of Basic English phonics & a working basic sight vocabulary as a reader). This may well need to take place outside the English classroom and will involve a structured programme.

Similarly, as writers, pupils will need to learn basic spellings for everyday words and will need help to construct sentences.

Explicit teaching of text types and grammar points is very important for pupils beyond the initial stages of EAL. Many will write as they speak and will have difficulty using connectives, conjunctions and the appropriate tone for a particular genre.

Modelling of reading and writing by teachers, teaching assistants and pupils.

Use of writing frames and models of text types.

Appropriate grouping arrangements whereby learners are placed with good models of English who possess a good range of vocabulary and who articulate clearly.

Use of visuals, e.g. story maps, charts, illustrated materials, videos, simplified texts with pictures, cartoons, etc.

Particular focus on a particular genre with plentiful models, tasks, comprehension tasks involving the genre, writing frames, etc.

Cultural references are regularly explained.

Inferential language and allusions are often embedded in texts and will need to be talked about and usually explained (orally, through demonstration, through translation or with reference to concrete objects).

Different meanings of common words will need to be discussed with reference to context. This will also involve a discussion about metaphors, idioms, and the use of dialect forms and phrasal verbs.

Use of support staff to pre-read and explain texts and/or to revisit texts.

Strategies including locating information, listing key items of information, rank ordering, modelling (oral and written), oral feedback, challenging recall of basic information, facts and uses of language, word and phrase banks (over and beyond sentence/topic sentence openers); collaborative writing tasks; use of grids with clear headings for pupils to extrapolate key information as it helps pupils to interpret details which are relevant.

Grammar points for pupils beyond the initial stages of English need to be taught explicitly. Pupils learn better when receiving oral feedback with follow up tasks, which help them to practise their new learning.

Examples of the way spoken language can be ‘translated’ into the written form is useful for all learners.

The language of the mainstream offers the best context for learning language.

EAL learners need to practise talk in English beyond single sentence responses to questions in class. Therefore opportunities need to be provided for EAL pupils to talk at greater length. This will greatly help to affect their ability when asked to write in a particular way and using specific forms of text types.

History

Be aware of the difference between UK born EAL pupils and EAL pupils who are late arrivals to the English education system. The latter group may well have studied history but related to different countries and from different perspectives.

Group and pair EAL pupils with good language models.

Seat the EAL pupils towards the front of the class where they can hear and see easily.

Use key visuals, e.g. pictures, diagrams, charts, concrete objects, etc.

Identify talk opportunities and allow time for oral rehearsal.

Think about the type of talk that might be required, e.g. questioning, explaining, summarising, identifying main reasons/causes, associating cause and effect, predicting, empathising, etc.

Use drama and role play.

Model speech and writing regularly.

Set explicit listening tasks using key words or a listening frame, e.g. when pupils are listening to a text or tape, when they are watching a video/tv programme, when they are listening to each other, etc.

Pre teach key vocabulary and reinforce terms through differentiated homework tasks, writing frames, repetition, oral discussion etc.

In group/individual writing, provide writing frames, talk frames, word and phrase banks, picture prompts, etc.

Allow extra thinking time for writing tasks and for oral responses to set questions.

Plan questions carefully and be prepared to elaborate and build upon EAL learners’ responses.

When EAL pupils are required to read for information, confusions can arise when:

Some cultural references may be unfamiliar;

source materials present an ‘old’ form of English;

pronouns are used to carry meaning forward in a text;

meaning is expressed in the form of complex sentence structures;

the passive voice is used;

texts contain vocabulary which has a meaning different from that in common everyday speech;

idiomatic and colloquial terms are used;

attitudes are implied rather than explicit;

metaphors and similes are used.

Use directed activities related to texts (DARTs), e.g.

Sequencing

Prioritising

Matching pictures to text and vice versa

Matching phrases to definitions

Matching examples of cause and effect

Filling in gaps in text

Use of true/false statements

Matching concepts to examples

Highlighting key points

Identifying which information is not needed for a piece of work or needed for an answer to a question

Grouping information, e.g. where, when, who, how, etc.

Identifying similarities and differences

Clarify and explain in a variety of ways when pupils misunderstand, e.g. give definitions, paraphrase, use visual/concrete examples, reference to bilingual dictionaries, etc.

Pre-teach and discuss those terms/phrases in a text which are going to cause difficulty.

Model skimming, scanning, reading on, making notes, highlighting and marking texts.

When marking written work, focus on a particular aspect and identify a specific pattern of error in the pupil’s writing. Spelling is important but it may be more relevant at one point to highlight the use of past tense verbs or to suggest a way of rephrasing an introduction to a set of arguments.

Geography

Group and pair pupils carefully. Good language models are important.

Place EAL pupils towards the front of the group where they can hear and see easily.

Plan when and how visual/concrete resources will be used to introduce a task/idea/information; to reinforce new terminology; to remind pupils of key meanings; to provide further explanations and examples; to make clear new meanings of familiar terms, etc.

Use paired/group situations for oral practise and purposeful talk associated with new learning and the reinforcement of key ideas. E.g. transferring information from a text to a chart or vice versa, drawing a map based on written instructions, selecting visual materials following set criteria, devising a display, etc.

Be aware of the pupil’s past experience and prior knowledge. Choose examples carefully. Some examples may not be culturally familiar to pupils, e.g. recreational facilities for young people in a Western European town, seasons, climatic conditions, environmental issues etc.

Some pupils may have come from a part of the World being studied- they may be able to or be prepared to share their knowledge. Be encouraging at the same time as being sensitive. Try not to make assumptions.

Avoid stereotypical descriptions of places and people at all times.

Differentiate when questioning and allow pupils to show their understanding through their actions as well as their words.

If pupils are literate in their first/preferred language, let them use a bilingual dictionary and allow them to plan writing by writing in their first language.

Support writing by providing text models, purposeful talk time, key words/phrases, writing frames, structured questions which will allow answers to be combined as continuous prose, gap fillers, picture prompts, paragraph headings, paired work, grid/chart information, etc.

Provide appropriate feedback and focus on particular aspects of a pupil’s work, e.g. Modelling ways in which writing can be structured when drawing a comparison (In some ways…, For example, both of them….,They are also similar in that…., However…., Firstly, they are different because…..Another difference is that….Finally…..To sum up,,,,,, etc)

Pre-teach and reinforce specific terms that have a particular meaning within the subject area e.g. key, legend, land-slide, heavy storm, capital etc.

Set explicit listening tasks using key words, drawing activities, diagrams or a listening frame e.g. when pupils watch a video, when they listen to a description or summary, when they listen to each other etc.

Prepare pupils for reading for information. Clarify and explain key terms, situations and examples which might be unfamiliar. Use visual support to introduce the main content of the text. Introduce questions prior to the reading of a text.

Unpack the meaning of more complex sentence structures and check pupils’ understanding when pronouns are used to carry meaning forward in a text.

Avoid setting questions whereby pupils can copy parts of texts without fully understanding the meaning of what they are writing.

Encourage more advanced EAL pupils to produce full responses rather than one word answers (both orally and in the written form).

ICT

As well as speaking an additional language, pupils may be literate in more than one language. Make full use of ICT resources including websites and

software that is available e.g. online dictionaries (take care to ensure that sites are safe using the school’s filtering process. There are, unfortunately, an increasing number of sites which are suspect), software which allows pupils to write in their first language, curriculum support software which provides pupils with key word lists, contact with other EAL pupils who share the same first language etc.