The National Curriculum inclusion statement requires teachers to 'take specific action to help pupils who are learning English as an additional language by developing their spoken and written English'. Extensive use of text is a common feature of many subject lessons and learners new to English will need considerable support to access texts appropriately. Activities which will support text access will include:

• Pre-reading tasks to introduce text and predict content

• Scanning for particular words or subject specific vocabulary

• Skimming 

• Vocabulary activities

• Use of key visuals or organisers  

• Supported reading and writing activities

An organiser will support all pupils in accessing information from written texts.  A grid or series of simple questions will enable students to clearly identify what information they need to extract from the text, and encourages reproducing information in note form. Providing a diagram or flow chart to be labelled also provides a clear visual map of the information and relevant vocabulary. Some text may need modification to make it appropriate for learners at the earliest stages of English

Beginners will need writing activities in English based on the curriculum content broken down into manageable tasks which they can achieve. It is not always necessary to provide adapted materials for the beginner although this is becoming much easier with materials stored electronically. It is particularly important  to provide learners with scaffolding materials to support their writing. Scaffolding will enable the pupil to move to the next stage of language production in a supported way. The use of writing frames to support and develop beginners’ content writing in English is a particularly successful strategy. Examples of activities used to scaffold writing development in English include: 

• Labelling, matching and copying names to pictures and diagrams

• Simple cloze

• Sorting into categories

• Making/changing sentences

• Copying simple sentences which have been developed orally through working individually with pupils

• Sequencing sentences and/or pictures

• Answering a series of simple questions which can be used to form a continuous piece of writing

• Adapted texts

• Adapted worksheets

• Grids

• Writing frames 

The key point of these activities is that they involve the pupil in transfer and processing of information in some way, not simply copying. It is this aspect of writing activities which is key, along with support which the activities provide as a framework for further language development. 

Suitable published resources are not always easy to find but some materials designed for special needs can be used or adapted.  Language services sell a variety of curriculum related resources.   Materials produced in school by EMAG staff and other department members should be preserved and stored centrally so that all can benefit. 

Some pupils may not have attended school in their home country and may not be literate. This group of pupils will need considerable support when they first arrive to enable them to learn to read and write and to develop social skills for school.  Children who are already literate in their own language will often find learning to read and write in English much easier as they are able to transfer their knowledge of how language and literacy work to English even if the mechanics of reading and writing such as script and directionality are completely different.