Although many schools have specialist support staff, all teachers need to have the skills 'to provide the support pupils need to take part in all subject areas’ (National Curriculum 2000).

Working within the mainstream classroom and curriculum provides a good context for language learning, because the bilingual pupil is learning English for a purpose, not through decontextualised drills or vocabulary exercises. Teachers will need to communicate the key aims of the lesson to a pupil with little or no English and to engage them in learning activities, a task which may seem difficult, but if achieved will benefit all pupils.  Subject work provides a stimulus for language learning and creates a need to communicate which will develop the pupil’s attainment in English.

Although every teaching situation is different, there are a number of principles which are useful when teaching early stage.  NALDIC has identified principles which underpin good practice with EAL learners

• Activating prior knowledge
• The provision of a rich contextual background to make input comprehensible
• Actively encouraging comprehensible output
• Drawing the learner's attention to the relationship between form and function; making key grammatical elements explicit
• Developing learner independence

Source The Distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language (NALDIC 1999).

Activating prior knowledge will support the English and curriculum learning of beginners as it helps create links between what is known in the first language with the new learning, either linguistic or curricular.  In each lesson, you should try to provide opportunities to activate  prior knowledge and focus pupils on the context or subject. Some strategies would include:

• writing the title on the blackboard at the start of the session

• reviewing or recapping relevant learning

• brainstorming the topic and developing a concept map, or semantic web

• blackboarding  key words and ideas

• providing opportunities for first language discussion

• providing opportunities for paired discussion

The key to providing access to the curriculum is to ensure that input is comprehensible to the learner ie that they can make some sense of what is going on.  Ensuring pupils understand the framework and key points of your lessons is key.   Comprehensible input will support pupils to deliver comprehensible output.   When introducing your lesson you should:

• ensure that you repeat and paraphrase key words or ideas, making clear the meaning in context. 

• use real life or concrete contexts to introduce the new learning rather than abstract ones

• introduce key concepts or vocabulary using visual support such as mime, gesture, roleplay, pictures, realia,  concept maps, flow charts or diagrams

• check for understanding by asking specific questions and giving immediate feedback.

• go over the key concepts and instructions with the pupil once the class is settled

• reinforce language learning by previewing and reviewing class work and by creating opportunities to revisit through questioning.

• consider the speed of your spoken delivery

Actively encouraging comprehensible output

Comprehensible output can be oral or written but should always be meaningful.  The worst sort of activities for beginners are those which simply require repetition, either of speech or text. Beginners need activities based on the curriculum broken down into manageable tasks which they can achieve.  Group and collaborative activities are very helpful for pupils with limited English as they provide opportunities for reinforcement, modelling and reflection.  Beginner pupils will need to be included in a supportive group which includes competent users of English and if possible a pupil who shares their language.

It is not always necessary to provide adapted materials or tasks for the beginner in English. It is important to provide them with the scaffolding they need to move to the next stage of language production in a supported way. Scaffolded activities could include

• guided talk

• collaborative writing

The formal language of the curriculum is of course, very different to the everyday oral language pupils will be developing and these differences need to be taught and made explicit.  Language for learning in KS3  (QCA 2000) sets out clear objectives for all pupils to support the development of effective language skills across subjects, linked to the National Literacy Strategy and includes EAL guidance.  Scaffolding to bridge the gap between ‘everyday English’ and ‘curriculum English’ will benefit all pupils.

Activities and ethos should be 'enabling', that is they should make the learner become able to do more next time.  Many teachers use computer activities to develop learner independence. Programmes such as talking books and talking word processors are useful. So too are tools such as online thesauruses and glossaries and internet translation tools. First and second language reference material in all curriculum areas may be useful as information texts.  Many programmes are now available providing practice in English language skills. Care must be taken, however, not to present students with meaningless drills where no context is provided. Check with yourself whether these develop the learner or just keep them busy.

Beginners should be given homework if the other class members receive it.  Literate pupils should be encouraged to use their first language for homework assignments.  Other pupils will need to be given simplified homework tasks which are clear and accessible.

For further ideas on what working with EAL learners in the mainstream classroom looks like, browse the online NALDIC vignettes of practice.  These include examples from across phases and subjects.  You can also get some particularly useful video case studies of teachers in KS3 working with EAL learners in a variety of subjects and situations free from the DfES. Order your free Embedding CDs below

Citizenship DfES/0800/2004
Design and technology DfES/0802/2004
Geography DfES/0809/2004
History DfES/0804/2004
Mathematics DfES/0806/2004

Music DfES/0803/2004

Physical education DfES/0801/2004