English as an additional language

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English as an additional language

• Raymonde Sneddon
• University of East London

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Introduction

• What listening can teach you
• Group activity and discussion
• first impressions how does it feel?
• how do you know what the lesson is about?
• what helps you to understand?
• how do you learn to respond?
• How can you demonstrate what you have understood?

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Why theory?Baker Foundations of Bilingual
Education and Bilingualism

• Key issues that lead to underachievement
• Misunderstandings about bilingualism leading to
  low expectations
• Establishing what pupils already know
• Assuming pupils are fully proficient when they
  can communicate in English
• Analysing the language demands of the curriculum
• Giving teachers long term strategies to meet
  individual needs in the context of changing
  policy and practice

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A theoretical frameworkJim CumminsThe Common
Underlying Proficiency

• The surface features (phonology, syntax,
  vocabulary) are clearly distinct in L1 and L2 and
  learned in communicative situations
• General cognitive skills that underpin language
  operate from a central function cognitive
  academic skills and concepts transfer from one
  language to another.

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Common Underlying ProficiencyCummins, 1984
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The Threshold modelIssues in bilingualism and
cognition

• The CUP model doesnt explain the different
  achievement levels of, for ex. Canadian English
  speakers immersed in French and Turkish speakers
  immersed in English in the UK.
• the levels of proficiency bilingual children
  attain in their two languages may be an important
  intervening variable mediating the effects of
  bilingualism on childrens cognitive and academic
  development.

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The Threshold Model
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Conversational Fluency

• Refers to the ability to carry on a conversation
  in familiar face-to-face situations
• Involves high frequency words and simple
  grammatical constructions
• Second language learners generally develop
  conversational fluency with a year or two of
  exposure to the new language in school or in the
  environment.

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Academic Language Proficiency

• The ability to understand and produce
  increasingly complex oral and written language
• Low frequency words (from Greek and Latin
  sources), complex syntax and abstract expressions
  not used in everyday language
• Second language learners need a minimum of 5 (and
  commonly 7) years exposure to academic English to
  catch up with the moving target of native-speaker
  norms

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The developmental interrelationship between
language proficiency and academic achievement
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Additive and Subtractive Bilingualism

• Additive bilingualism is found in situations
  where both languages have high status in the
  pupils family and community and there is no
  danger of one language replacing another
• Subtractive bilingualism is more likely to occur
  in pupils from minority linguistic communities
  where the first language is not valued in the
  wider community, and may even be devalued by the
  family and the individuals concerned.

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From Theory to PracticeApplications in the
Classroom

• A solid foundation in the first language is
  beneficial to the learning of a second
• Teachers very commonly overestimate pupils
  skills in English when they have acquired
  conversational language skills
• Support is needed to develop the academic
  proficiency and this needs to be underpinned by a
  cognitively challenging speaking and listening
  curriculum and be strongly related to literacy
  (this has been a recent focus for Ofsted research
  and inspections)

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Issues

• Current issues in English as an Additional
  Language the EAL pilot
• The challenge of under achievement
• mainstreaming and withdrawal current practices
• Assessment QCA A Language in Common
• The training of teachers and OFSTED inspectors

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The EAL booklet

• Introduction when and where to carry out the
  tasks
• Read p.3 in pairs
• Setting the tasks discussing and sharing
  experience
• Using personal experience in the classroom

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EAL personal audit

• In pairs
• Read p. 4 of each others EAL audit
• Discuss in terms of what has been presented
• Discuss the target

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Planning for EAL across the curriculum

• In groups of 5 using the EAL booklet and the
  notes on p. 9-10, choose a curriculum area (not
  English)
• Choose an age group and a lesson topic
• decide whether you will plan for beginners or
  advanced learners of EAL
• use the pro-forma in Appendix D or E as
  appropriate to make your lesson accessible.
• Plenary presentation and discussion

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Using Multiverse and NALDIC websites

• www.multiverse.ac.uk / www.naldic.org.uk/ITTSEAL2
  
• www.qca.org.uk/newarrivals
• EAL pedagogy
• Theoretical resources
• Policy Aiming High documents
• Ofsted research and reports
• Specialist EAL material from the strategies
  Supporting Pupils learning EAL KS3 Access and
  Engagement
• Assessment issues in assessment and the QCAs A
  Language in Common
• Parents, communities, community schools

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Theory / Practice key issues

• Outlined in Appendix F in the EAL booklet
• communicative and academic language
• context embedded activities to support
  communicative language
• grouping of children to provide models for
  English and/or first language support
• analysing the language demands of a task and
  preparing children for them
• Partnership teaching TAs, BAs EMA teachers