Supporting new arrival learners of EAL

Section outline

• Select section Supporting a newly arrived learner with English as an Additional Language

  Collapse Expand

  Supporting a newly arrived learner with English as an Additional Language

  Collapse all Expand all

  How might you go about welcoming into your school community a learner who is new to English? What approaches would help them settle into their new school? And how can staff support them to access and engage with the curriculum that's being delivered in English, a language they are just starting to learn? In this section, you will find practical solutions to these and many other questions.  

   

  In this short video, EMTAS Specialist Teacher Advisor Helen Smith introduces the series of videos below to help you prepare for a New Arrival. 
• Select section Information you should collect from parents before the learner starts school

  Collapse Expand

  Information you should collect from parents before the learner starts school

   

   
  

  In this short video, EMTAS Specialist Teacher Advisor Michelle Lancaster shares the information that school staff should collect from parents/carers before the learner starts school. 
• Select section Information you should give to parents before the learner starts school

  Collapse Expand

  Information you should give to parents before the learner starts school

   

   
  

  In this video, EMTAS Specialist Teacher Advisor Helen Smith discusses what information school staff should give to parents before the learner starts school. 

   
  

  • Select activity Hampshire Education Catering - Menus

    

    Hampshire Education Catering - Menus URL
• Select section The first few days

  Collapse Expand

  The first few days

     

   

  In this short video, EMTAS Specialist Teacher Advisor Lynne Chinnery shares some of the ways in which you can support a new arrival in the classroom.

  • Select activity A link to the Young Interpreters Scheme

    

    A link to the Young Interpreters Scheme URL
• Select section Aide-mémoire(s) of best practice principles

  Collapse Expand

  Aide-mémoire(s) of best practice principles

  Best practice for new arrival EAL learners, including those at an early stage of acquiring English (Bands A and B)

  >
  

  • Select activity Guidance for primary schools

    

    Guidance for primary schools File
  • Select activity Guidance for secondary schools

    

    Guidance for secondary schools File
• Select section Free training card (part of the 101 EAL conversations card set)

  Collapse Expand

  Free training card (part of the 101 EAL conversations card set)

  Four pupils from an asylum seeking background have recently arrived late into Key Stage 4. Very little is known about their background except that they are all at early stages of acquiring EAL. The plan is to create a small withdrawal intervention group for the remainder of the year (5 months), taught by a Support Assistant who has a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) qualification. What are your thoughts about this provision?

  Download this pdf for the answer. It can also be used in training sessions to promote discussion amongst staff.

  This card is part of 101 EAL conversation cards set: More information can be found here

  
  

  • Select activity The merits of withdrawal intervention for older late arriving pupils

    

    The merits of withdrawal intervention for older late arriving pupils File
• Select section Supporting New Arrivals Videoscribe

  Collapse Expand

  Supporting New Arrivals Videoscribe

  • Select activity Videoscribe resource pack

    

    Videoscribe resource pack URL

    Complements the EMTAS New Arrivals Videoscribe. Use to explore what provision for newly-arrived students looks like in your school or setting.
    

  • Select activity Videoscribe images

    

    Videoscribe images URL

    With key phrases taken from the audio narration. Use as a matching activity and when discussing how the needs of New Arrivals are catered for
    

• Select section What does it feel like to be a new arrival? 'Our Story' courtesy of Rochdale LA

  Collapse Expand

  What does it feel like to be a new arrival? 'Our Story' courtesy of Rochdale LA

  Our Story from Kilogramme on Vimeo.
• Select section Useful links (crossphase)

  Collapse Expand

  Useful links (crossphase)

  Mainstreaming provision

  • Integrating students using EAL into mainstream lessons (Bell Foundation)
    

  
  

  Assessment 

  •  Assessing first language - read this blog and complete this elearning module
  •  Assessing English using an EAL-specific tool - see the Bell Foundation EAL assessment framework
    

  
  

  Social integration

  •  Find out about the Young Interpreter Scheme
  •  Using persona dolls with younger children - read these blogs
    

  
  

  Home-school links

  •  Language phonelines
  •  Bringing up your child bilingually - download the leaflet (available in several languages)
    

  
  

  Planning

  •  Using first language as a tool for learning
    

  
  

  Speaking and listening

  •  Opportunities to respond non-verbally through a voting tool like Plickers 
  •  Ideas for language development (Racing to English from Gordon Ward)
  •  Capture talk using oral recording device from Talking Products

  
  

  Reading
  

  •  Source dual language resources from Mantra Lingua

  
  

  Writing

  
  

  A Language guide to transfer errors (for writing)
  
  

  Pupils who are not literate in their first language and who are at the beginning of learning English can demonstrate their learning through talk. See Book Creator which has an audio recording facility alongside other more traditional word processing tools. Book creator is now available in 10 languages. There is an example below about how this tool can be used to support pupils learning EAL.
  

  
  Supporting Language Learners with Book Creator
  Click to read this book, made with Book Creator
  https://read.bookcreator.com
  
  

  Websites

  
  

  EAL Nexus: Great ideas pages. 'Many of the teaching resources on this website refer to various tried and tested approaches and strategies which we recommend for EAL learners.In this section of the website we explain the rationale behind these methodologies and why we call them ‘Great Ideas’.The majority of these approaches can be used with everyone in the class, but they are particularly important for EAL learners because they provide a rich context, additional support, opportunities for collaborative learning and exploratory talk, and all the important features of good practice in meeting the educational needs of EAL learners'

  
  

  Collaborative Learning Project.'Collaborative Learning is practitioner led, has evolved over the last thirty five years and is still evolving. We support a teacher network that shares resources that scaffold talk. Our activities can be used as they are, or tweaked a little to suit different classrooms or they can be an inspiration/a template for you to develop your own resources that we hope you will in turn share with us.'
  

  
  

  Blogs

  
  

  EMTAS Blogs tagged by 'New Arrivals'
  

  
  

  Johnathan Bifield’s blog of great ideas
• Select section Secondary-specific support and guidance

  Collapse Expand

  Secondary-specific support and guidance

  Late Arrivals

  • EMTAS guidance for secondary schools receiving international new arrivals for whom English is an Additional Language into Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11). 
  • EMTAS guidance on post-16 provision and pathways for late-arriving students.

  Exam support
  

  • EMTAS guidance on examination access arrangements for learners of EAL
    

  Heritage Language GCSEs
  

  • The EMTAS GCSE Heritage Language Support leaflet gives an overview of the support available from EMTAS for Heritage Language GCSEs.          

       Visit the EMTAS website for information about the packages of support available.

  
  
• Select section Resources

  Collapse Expand

  Resources

  • Select activity Classroom Dialogue and Learning - MESHGuide

    

    Classroom Dialogue and Learning - MESHGuide URL
  • Select activity Use of images across the curriculum

    

    Use of images across the curriculum File
  • Select activity Ideas for using oral recording devices

    

    Ideas for using oral recording devices File
  • Select activity Substitution Tables

    

    Substitution Tables File
  • Select activity Widgit library (including translation facility)

    

    Widgit library (including translation facility) URL

    Usual caveats apply to use of translation tools - for more information about the strengths and weaknesses of translation visit the EMTAS Blog.
    

  • Select activity Little by Little advice sheets Zip (courtesy EAL Highland)

    

    Little by Little advice sheets Zip (courtesy EAL Highland) URL
  • Select activity Vocabulary development for learners of EAL

    

    Vocabulary development for learners of EAL URL

    Article in an online publication 'Headteacher Update' dated January 2022