Supporting EAL Students in the MFL Classroom

Isabelle Jones, Alderley Edge School for Girlshttp://isabellejones.blogspot.comTwitter: @icpjones

icpjones@yahoo.co.uk

• Identify the most common EAL issues encountered by MFL teachers in UK schools

• Suggest generic and specific practical strategies to support EAL learners in MFL classes

Aims

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2.

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Find the language…

Rank out of the 15th most spoken languages in English schools?

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Chinese

Hindi

Urdu

Farsi

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2.

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8.

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欢迎Bengali

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Find the language…

Rank out of the 15th most spoken languages in English schools?

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X

8

4

13

X

3

X

Portuguese

First languages in English schools

http://www.naldic.org.uk/research-and-information/eal-statistics/lan

EAL Learners

• What does EAL stand for? EFL? ESL?

• Describe what you think are the characteristics of a “typical” EAL learner?

• What issues do you anticipate him/her to have with learning a foreign language?

EALEAL: English as an Additional

Language Recognises that students may speak several

languages in addition to English and that English could be their third, fourth or fifth language.

• as opposed to ESL: English as a Second Language

• or EFL: English as a Foreign Language (for

students living abroad learning English)

• 1 in 8 secondary school pupil does not have English as their first language.

• 1 in 6 primary school pupil speaks a language at home other than English.

• The percentage of EAL students varies greatly from region to region and school to school. In some schools it can be 90% +

The Globalised Classroom: How many pupils? Where?

DfE school census, January 2011http://www.naldic.org.uk/research-and-information/eal-statistics

EAL as a continuum

EAL refers to any student with English as an Additional Language.

At one end of the continuum , you find the ‘International New Arrivals’ (INA.) This refers specifically to students who have entered the UK within the past two years.

Subgroups:

- ‘first generation’ : children who were born in another country and have since resettled in the UK with their family.

- ‘second or third generation’ : children who were born in the UK into a migrant or ‘dual-heritage’ family.

- ‘migrant worker’ : children whose parents have moved to work in Britain.

- ‘asylum seeker’ / ‘refugee’ : children who have moved with / without their parents to escape famine, persecution and other tragic events.

EAL as a continuum : Other criteria

• Language spoken at home• Existence and role of older relatives• Literacy in the first language• Other language spoken• Parents’ level of education and literacy in both English and first language• Schooling history and experience• Traumatic experiences

Truth or Myth? Pros and Cons?

1. If new arrival EAL students are segregated and taught English, they will be ableto prepare themselves quicker for taking exams through the medium of English.

2. EAL is a Special Educational Need

3. Speaking another language interferes with learning English.

4. EAL learners should only speak English at school.

1. EAL students will take approximately 5 – 7 years of English-speaking education to acquire academically-fluent English. This will occur naturally through nurturing immersion rather than segregated intervention. MFL lessons will be more accessible in Y7-8 for EAL learners as they often represent a fresh start linguistically (impact on progress and setting)

2.EAL students have a temporary additional need which is primarily language acquisition. EAL students are not automatically SEN or ‘special educational needs’, and should not automatically put in lower sets . Lack of data/ unreliable data can be an issue if EAL learner is assessed through the medium of English.

3.EAL students will have potential strengths as well as additional needs.

There are many cognitive advantages to being bilingual. Research shows that bilingual learners have better classification skills, concept formation, analogical reasoning, visual –spatial skills , creativity and divergent thinking, story-telling skills, language awareness. However, not all EAL learners are truly bilingual.

4. There are benefits if students can carry on developing their

home language at the same time as English, but when and how it is done need to be thought through.

Fighting Common Misconceptions

The Challenges : Through MFL we need to…

Nurture language development

Coach students in how to learn

Build stable and productive social groups

The good news?

EAL good practice is MFL good practice!

Stage 1: Pre-productionThis is often described as ‘the silent period’ and can last up to six months. English language learners may have up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary but they are typically not yet fully able / confident in speaking. Some students will, however, repeat everything you say. They are not really producing language but are parroting. NC English – P Levels

Stage 2: Early productionThis stage may last up to six months and students will develop a receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words. NC English – Level 1

Stage 3: Speech emergenceStudents have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. This stage will tend to last up to three years.NC English – Level 1 → 2 BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) =conversational English

Stage 4: Intermediate fluency English language learners at the intermediate fluency stage have a vocabulary of 6000 active words. NC English – Level 3 – 4

Stage 5: Advanced Fluency Starting as a new speaker of English, it takes students an average of 7 - 10 years to achieve academic language proficiency in a second language. At this stage, students have the range of listening skills necessary to participate fully within the curriculum and can be fairly assessed using only the National Curriculum for English. NC English – Level 4 and above CALP= Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency (minimum 5 years)

Language Acquisition

EAL support?

• Peer support not always available

• Many schools do not have any EAL department as such

• EAL expertise varies greatly from school to school

• Languages are not always seen as a priority for support

Type of EAL support?

Restricted timetable/Withdrawal lessonsIn English/ in homelanguageTeaching AssistantPeer supportClass teacher

Concepts can be transferred from one language to another.EAL learners need to continue to develop both languages to derive maximum benefit of their studies.

Cummins’ Interdependence theory

Interdependence Theory and Literacy

• Many children new to literacy in English will have experience of literacy in other languages

Child’s experience of Literacy in another language

Potential benefits for acquiring literacy in English

Can decode the script but with little understanding

Recognises that literacy involves connection between sound and symbolVisual memory

Can read and write with understanding

Reading for understanding strategies

No home literacy but oral story telling and language games

Range of genresLanguage as a fun activity

EAL, assessment and data

• Progress is a key accountability measure for OFSTED.

• Baseline tests in Y7-What are the issues for EAL learners in general? And for the assessment of a foreign language in

particular?

EAL and SEAL

What does it feel like to be an EAL learner?

Empathy required…

1.2.3.4.5.

• “Most of the time I don’t know what they’re saying anyway. They all speak in some other language, Urdu or something. I don’t know what it is…..”

• “Lots of our children speak other languages. You do, don’t you dear? Urdu or Hindu [sic] or something, is it? We’re very proud of them.”

From “Plurilingual School Students* Learning Languages at School: experiences, perceptions and implications”, Pura Ariza, MMU.

Common experiences of EAL students:

I feel different.

Can I eat this? Is it OK do this? What will my family say?

Why do some people avoid talking to me? Why do they speak to me so loudly and slowly ?

If I keep quiet I will not get laughed at or told off.

Where is my next lesson? I am never sure of what to do and where to go…

I miss home. Why did I get sent here? I am not used to those busy streets and cold weather.

I just can’t keep up… it’s really tiring, but I have to learn so that I can help my family with the language.

At my other school I had much more interesting work. All I do here is listen and write.

Heritage Language use and culture perception inside and outside schools:

*Pupils are discouraged to use heritage languages in schools although it is essential for the development of self-image and identity*Very emotive and political issue*Bilingualism is seen as a weakness- ability is

nearly exclusively assessed in terms of competence in English

* Non-British cultures are stereotyped and often falsely amalgamated.

A Language is a language1. Show an active interest in the languages spoken by

pupils in your schools in your school. Learn how to say hello and goodbye or ask the children to teach you.

2. Investigate linguistic similarities and exploit them.3. Challenge stereotypes and teach the cultures of

the target language country. Show that all European countries are multicultural and multilingual.

4. Reinforce the links between different languages in the department (Community/ Modern/ Classics)

A new arrival child has been placed in your class

• What do you need to find out about?

• What is your plan of action?

Generic strategies to support EAL learners: Challenges & Benefits

.

7. Coaching Schemes of work need to build in activities that demonstrate and practise language. Not just subject-specific words but general academic words like ‘compare’, ‘analyse’ etc.

4. Buddying Pair with a responsible, caring, articulate student who will act as a guide, friend and role model. Reward students for acting as buddies. (This can be arranged by class teacher or EAL support)

6. Communicating The use of English and TL should be supported by visual cues and practical examples. A dictionary could be used provided the student’s literacy in L1 is strong enough.

2. Knowing Identify their language levels. Try to find out a little about their native / home culture. With INAs, find out their ‘story’. Link with EAL support as appropriate.

3. Grouping Place EAL students with supportive students of similar ability, who can provide a good linguistic model in English.

1. Naming! Ensure that you address the student by their correct name and that you pronounce the student’s name correctly.

5. Mentoring The student’s form tutor or key worker needs to regularly catch up with them to address queries / confusions, ensure homework is being managed. The mentor filters information through to student and support with practical academic & pastoral issues.

• Encouraging students to complement the topics you

are teaching when working independently e.g. fruit

and vegetable• Finding out about specific features of EAL learners’

home language from them e.g. forms of address, word order, pronunciation, cognates, funny-sounding

words…• Encouraging students to share information

in the Target Language about their home countries, language and culture.

Inclusive practice: sharing cultures

Newbury Park: Language of the monthhttp://www.newburypark.redbridge.sch.uk/langofmonth/

Language Awareness starters

• Introduce the idea of “families” of languages e.g. latin (word order)

• Refer to etymology when explaining key words

• English is great at borrowing words

from other languages…

Language Awareness starters

• Jar, coffee, sugar

• Sky, leg, wife

• Pill, wagon

• Damp, luck

• Shampoo, bungalow, cot

• Umbrella, piano, corridor

• Tent, café, route

• Rose, atlas, museum

Which languages have these been borrowed from?

ArabicNorwegian/ DanishDutchGerman

HindiItalian

FrenchGreek

EAL learners: AttainmentExpectations and Reality

Early Years/ Foundation Stage

Phonics screening check

KS1

KS2

KS3

KS4

Same level asBelowAbove?

EAL learners: AttainmentExpectations and Reality

Early Years/ Foundation Stage: 56%/ 65%

(generally improving trend)

Phonics screening check no difference or +

KS1: lower % (generally improving trend)

KS2: 72%/75% (improving trend)

KS3: catching-up phase

KS4: 78.1%/71.1% (English)

average point score for bilingual

pupils higher for languages!

A few points to consider…

1.Where are your EAL students and who are they sitting with? How is that likely to help or hinder them?

2. How would you make it easier for your EAL learners to understand instructions-orally and on a worksheet for instance?

3.How do you think EAL learners can contribute to enhancing our subject?

4. An EAL student pronounces or writes a word incorrectly – What do you do?

5. From a standard MFL scheme of work- what specific vocabulary is needed in English to

understand the activities and their purpose ?

6. What will you have to consider when assessing EAL students’ progress in MFL in all four skills? What

should you avoid?

??

7 Steps to introduce New Language

When learning new language, EAL students need to:

1. See1. See the word / phrasethe word / phrase

2. Hear the word / phrase2. Hear the word / phrase

3. Link the word / phrase to 3. Link the word / phrase to

meaningmeaning

4. Practise and self-repair the word / phrase 4. Practise and self-repair the word / phrase

5. Listen to the word/ phrase being recast 5. Listen to the word/ phrase being recast

6. Revise the word / phrase6. Revise the word / phrase

7. Use the word / phrase in another context7. Use the word / phrase in another context

• All teaching materials should include visuals like photographs, pictures, drawings or paintings to support learning. Beware of hidden cultural references in visuals.

• Use spot the difference pictures to reinforce simple structures in the affirmative and negative forms or

introduce comparatives.• Concept maps • Props, puppets and images• Mime, gestures, acting out• Display

Scaffolding Learning: (Listening & Reading)Visual Support

A house or a house?

Pictures and Photographs• NEN Gallery http://gallery.nen.gov.uk

• Flickr http://www.flickr.com

• Tag Galaxy http://taggalaxy.de

• Pinterest http://pinterest.com/

• Visual searches: http://www.wordsift.com

• Google.fr Google.es

Reading… (lire/ leer/ lesen…)

DARTs Activities (reading/writing)

DARTs-inspired Language Activities

• Text sequencing• Prioritising decisions/ ranking opinions• Matching pictures to text• Matching phrases to definitions• Matching beginning and end of sentences• True/ False/ Not Mentioned• statements about a text• Sorting activities (gender/ verbs or• nouns)…

Bonjour!Je m’appelle Ludovic. J’ai treize ans. Je suis en sixième. J’habite près de Toulouse.

J’ai les cheveux courts et châtains et les yeux marron. Je suis assez grand.

Je mesure un mètre cinquante. Je porte des

lunettes.

Je joue de la guitare classique. Je

suis sportif. J’aime le football et le

rugby. J’ai une chienne qui s’appelle

Léa.

Word clouds and mind-mapping

• Wordle http://www.wordle.net

• Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/

• Freemind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

• Mindomo http://www.mindomo.com

EAL Attainment Data

http://www.tagxedo.com/artful/2a50dd53fe98461

Dictionaries

Bilingual dictionariesMonolingual dictionariesThesaurus

Pros and Cons?

Flip your lesson!

Pre-teach key vocabulary/ structures:

How would you do this?

Advantages and inconvenients?

Visual support & EngagementClasstool.net http://classtools.net/ Site with templates for resources to be printed

or put on a blog or a VLE.

http://www.triptico.co.uk/

Drama!

• Repeating key words and phrases and using visual support at the same time.

• Rephrasing: get students to rephrase in English and move from complex to simpler language.

• Recasting: model by providing a gramatically correct or longer

version of what the student said.

• Target Language Use

Scaffolding Learning:Audio support (listening/ speaking/

reading/ writing)

Text-to-speech http://text-to-speech.imtranslator.net/

Supporting and Recording Talk

http://www.easi-speak.org.uk/ http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

http://www.voki.com Ppt recording function

• Provide a model and deconstruct texts. Sequencing activities will support the development of literacy skills as well.

• The model could be a story, a transcript from a short video clip, a recipe, 2 sides of an

argument, the evaluation of a product or a performance, a timeline …

• Writing/ Speaking frames (talk stems/

sentence starters)

Scaffolding Learning:Models and Modelling

Develop your cultural linguistic awareness to support EAL learner

• In Urdu, gender and number are both shown through the verb inflection and the tense through a verb suffix.

• Nouns in many South Asian languages have cases.

• Most languages do not have definite

• and indefinite articles.

• In many South Asian languages

yesterday and tomorrow are the

same word.

Scaffolding Learning: Questioning

• No hands rule

• Yes or no question to check understanding

• Multiple choice questions

• Traffic lights

Teacher sets the contextTeacher builds on prior knowledge Field of knowledge is developedModel of what you want the students to be able to produce is shownModel is deconstructedJoint construction takes place through a range of activitiesIndependent construction may be expected at this stage

Supporting EAL learners through the teaching cycle

Literacy Across the Curriculum (LaC) and EAL students

How can you contribute through your foreign languages lessons?Grammar terminologyPunctuationUse of apostrophes (comparisons)Vocabulary

Keep an open mind…

• Identify the most common EAL issues encountered by MFL teachers in UK schools

• Suggest generic and specific practical strategies to support EAL learners in MFL classes

Aims

Top 3 priorities to get prepared for your EAL students…

• 1.

• 2.

• 3.

Get to know your EAL students and how they are catered for at your school

Supporting EAL Students in the MFL Classroom

Isabelle Jones, Alderley Edge School for Girlshttp://isabellejones.blogspot.comTwitter: @icpjones

icpjones@yahoo.co.uk