Teacher guidance blog
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4th July 2016
Author: Caroline Scott Most schools with early-stage learners of English will have some form of guided reading record. This record supports the learner, parents and teacher […]
16th June 2016
Author: Gemma Fanning, EAL Teacher, Dwight School London Writing essays and short stories at secondary level can be a daunting experience but when you are asked […]
11th May 2016
In previous articles, we considered the importance of avoiding the use of a ‘Whole Language’ approach, in isolation, as a primary method of literacy instruction. We […]
7th April 2016
As educational pedagogies continue to move cyclically, with new strategies coming in and out of favour, the battle of reading approaches rages on. There are three […]
5th April 2016
As well as interpreting for peers, young learners often find themselves interpreting for adults. This does give rise to a myriad of potential issues. There are […]
3rd April 2016
11 fantastic resources to promote elements of international mindedness… Culture shock for new EAL students is more or less extreme depending on the extent of the […]
3rd April 2016
Language-learning strategies are tools to facilitate language learning that should be adapted to suit the needs of each individual. There isn’t one single set of language-learning […]
3rd March 2016
Often, for busy EAL teachers, the focus is on the child, however it is important to remember that for some parents, the transition period can be […]
3rd February 2016
Across Cultures début the Learning Village at GESS 2016 EAL/ESL specialist, Across Cultures, will be showing the Learning Village – an online English language-learning portal for […]
6th December 2015
NASSEA (Northern Association of Support Service for Equality and Achievement) have recently revised their EAL assessment framework with a few interesting differences. Designed to provide a, […]
6th December 2015
As the season ends and holidays are almost upon us (or in full swing in some cases!) we have provided you with some new Learning Village […]
25th September 2015
The lack of a common language between children can be frustrating so we often assign buddies who have a common language to help our learners. Someone […]
14th August 2015
Check out Caroline Scott’s recent article on EAL new arrivals: //www.bismagazine.co.uk/strategic/curriculum_articles/non-native.html
6th August 2015
On the last day of term I asked a student who was leaving her school in London to return to Italy about the best and worst […]
29th June 2015
Authors: Anita Bamberger and Caroline Scott Many of us learned to spell as children without being specifically taught sounds. In the past, the teaching of […]
30th May 2015
In previous articles we discussed the need for learners to obtain Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). These skills need to be the initial focus of learning […]
6th May 2015
This morning my 4 year old woke up and said, “Mummy there are two languages, child’s language and adult language”. I asked her what she meant […]
13th April 2015
The transition from EAL beginner to intermediate learner can take from one term to a year depending on the learner. A beginner EAL learner is learning […]
2nd March 2015
Recently we have been looking closely at the power of using online learning through the Learning Village by studying the assessment results of learners who were […]
28th February 2015
Feedback is the buzz-word and, as with most things, it is not being reinvented, but constantly readapted. In recent years, we see more formal national approach. […]
4th February 2015
Including a useful EAL Progress Review and links to different EAL assessment continua When teaching EAL, assessment procedures need to be in place in order to […]
30th December 2014
Including some ideas for EAL beginners Whilst reading a book on reclaiming childhood (‘Their name is today’ by Johann Christoph Arnold) the chapter on ‘learning differences […]
24th December 2014
Including 5 top tips to celebrating differences Last week I saw a film called ‘Shadow in Baghdad’, it was a film that pulled my heart strings. […]
24th December 2014
The language show this year in Olympia made me even more aware of the gift of having more than one language. One of the stand’s motto […]
2nd October 2014
The start of a new school year can be a daunting experience for new EAL arrivals. Some may be devastated to leave their friends, schools and […]
27th June 2014
This language learning strategy provides a very powerful platform for rapid progress using a multi-sensory approach: 1. Teach the new language. Ideally, a popular phrase where […]
5th June 2014
New to English can be supported in many different ways. Here’s one school’s approach: Assessment All learning is based on assessment. Children arrive and sit a […]
5th June 2014
Everyone is talking about differentiation for EAL in whole class teaching, but how do we actually approach it consistently and effectively? At Across Cultures we have […]
22nd May 2014
Are your new arrivals now intermediate language learners? The last two Across Cultures books focused on the beginners language learning needs in vocabulary and grammar (presented […]
17th May 2014
A School Language Profile is an invaluable tool! In the previous article we looked at the thorny issue of EAL learners with specific learning differences (SpLD). […]
5th May 2014
What tools are there if you have a sixth sense that something is not quite right? At what point does a teacher start to question whether […]
21st April 2014
In schools where English is the language of instruction we welcome new arrivals with limited English and, step by step, they become skilled in speaking English. […]
21st April 2014
Is it important for young English language learners to read dual language text? It can be helpful for learners to read texts in both languages. It […]
21st April 2014
The use of the children’s home language is another extremely important element of learning a language. Cummins highlighted that: “bilingualism has positive effects on children’s linguistic […]
30th March 2014
Have a look at these tips on culture change: //www.globalkidsoz.com.au/_things_to_discuss_about_another_country.php Also see an array of multicultural resources on this site as well as a few other […]
3rd March 2014
Teresa has worked at St John’s C of E for over 2 years. She differentiates for all ability levels but, up to now, she has never […]
24th February 2014
Helping our students to be better language learners How can the new to English language learners and their teachers work together to provide a successful language […]
23rd February 2014
Key Stage 2 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2014 states: “4.9.4 How children’s test and teacher assessment results are used in the performance tables All children who have […]
16th February 2014
Here’s a summary (the bare bones) of a procedure that gives you first steps to accomodating for new EAL arrivals. This is for those of you […]
16th February 2014
It’s hard to even start to highlight the challenges of teaching EAL students in such a short article but there are a few key areas to […]
12th February 2014
A few useful tips on supporting new arrivals, note the induction and the need for both withdrawal and in class learning. Video:
7th February 2014
Cross Cultural Understanding for New to English Students – The First Steps (Part 2) EAL students are often placed in the situation that the tools they […]
2nd February 2014
Instantly translate printed words using an app! Check this: Word Lens
21st January 2014
I watched this clip recently and certain elements stood out: Collaborative planning which supported pre teaching EAL learners The use of mentors and a special room […]
13th January 2014
It is Friday morning; the Head teacher comes to tell you that on Monday morning you will have a new student arriving who does not speak […]
29th December 2013
Scenario: Imagine that you were told you were going to move to a new country (pick a country that has a different written script, such as China, […]
21st December 2013
Progression in Language Structures is a great document for identfying how content learning can be built on language structures. Language structures are presented in sentence starters […]
21st December 2013
This EAL Assessment booklet is produced by NASSEA (National Association of Support Services and Equality & Achievement) and provides a detailed scale which aligns to the National Curriculum: //nassea.org.uk/assessments/ An alternative […]
21st December 2013
We’d love to hear from you! Where are they from? What langauge do they speak? Do you feel prepared!? Have a look at these videos of new arrivals and how […]
21st December 2013
Supporting the learning of the new language is by no means the only aspect of helping a new arrival to feel ‘at home’ in their new […]
14th December 2013
If you have EAL new arrivals in your school with limited English, you need a scheme of work that supports them with language learning, alongside the […]
14th December 2013
Coming in the New Year… a series of articles with free downloadable teaching tools and resources! They will be written and produced by Jessica Tweedie. Jessica […]
19th December 2013
We’ve been thinking carefully about what works best for you and your young language learners and have design a language learning experience for 6-14 year olds that […]
20th December 2013
Coreen Sears gives us an insight into her thoughts… ‘The story of my life is who I am’ When Caroline asked me to write something about […]
21st December 2013
As a Head of Early Years in an international school following the EYFS and IPC curriculums it has always been important to ensure that the teaching […]
21st December 2013
Supporting the learning of the new language is by no means the only aspect of helping a new arrival to feel ‘at home’ in their new […]
21st December 2013
We’d love to hear from you! Where are they from? What langauge do they speak? Do you feel prepared!? Have a look at these videos of new arrivals and how […]
21st December 2013
This EAL Assessment booklet is produced by NASSEA (National Association of Support Services and Equality & Achievement) and provides a detailed scale which aligns to the National Curriculum: //nassea.org.uk/assessments/ An alternative […]
21st December 2013
Progression in Language Structures is a great document for identfying how content learning can be built on language structures. Language structures are presented in sentence starters […]
29th December 2013
Are you aiming for outstanding provision for your EAL learners? Send a senior member of staff to become an EAL Teacher Trainer with the tools, manuals […]
29th December 2013
Scenario: Imagine that you were told you were going to move to a new country (pick a country that has a different written script, such as China, […]
30th December 2013
We have two new resources launching in January 2014! 1. A Welcome Pack for new arrivals This includes an A4 Welcome Booklet , including parent information […]