Download Strategies for Beginners in Key Stage 3 and 4

Speaking and listening

• Seat the EAL learner towards the front of the class. Provide plenty of visual support: objects, pictures, and non-verbal gestures, use of facial expression.
• Speak clearly and moderate your speed of delivery.
• Buddy the EAL learner with peers who provide strong models of English language usage.
• Appreciate that the pupil may choose to offer little, if any, English; some pupils undergo a 'silent' period.
• Involve the EAL learner in other ways e.g. giving out equipment; accompanying a fluent peer to take a message.
• Provide plenty of small group collaborative activities: give clearly delineated roles and allow the new arrival to take on a passive role - they will be learning a great deal simply through listening.
• Give the EAL learnerl the chance to rehearse any verbal responses by positioning them last in any turn taking activities.
• Familiarise the EAL learner with, and give them the opportunity to use, software that provides both visual and aural stimuli and language reinforcement of curriculum content. See 'Resources'.
• Give verbal support: repetition closed questioning requiring minimum response but engaging pupil in class discussion.

Reading

• Read any assessment and school reports in order to establish the reading skills the pupil possesses in their first language.
• Provide key ideas and summaries; these may be in the form of clear and simplified text books with visual support, or photocopies.
• Demonstrate how to highlight key words for translation and provide photocopies with the essential words highlighted when any lengthy text is being studied: this will direct him/her to the words to look up in his/her dual language dictionary.
• Direct the EAL learner towards story CDs and linked books; establish with the parent whether a CD player is available at home.
• Video/DVD is a useful medium as an alternative form of presentation and often provides a range of first language sub-titles.
• Monitor his/her reading choices (use a LRC retrieval system) and recommend books/resources.

• Show and familiarise the EAL learner with the Bracknell Forest booklet ‘Phrases for School’, available in many languages.
  • Ensure the EAL learner has, and uses, a dual language dictionary or electronic translator and subject-specific indexed glossary books.
  • Provide a wide range of curriculum based materials: dual language with visual support. Display these where possible.
  • Encourage the EAL learner to draft their work in their first language if literacy skills in L1 are developed.
  • Plan for some tasks to be completed at home where parents may be involved: pre-teaching of key vocabulary; annotated diagrams.
  • Promote the notion that the EAL learner should endeavour to maintain and develop his/her first language literacy skills. Give details of translation websites, dual/first language publishers and online news websites.
  • Make sure your written comments are understood: be consistent in the terms you use and encourage the pupil to translate these or provide your own list in English and L1. See translation websites

Writing

• Pupils literate in their first language need access to a dictionary and subject-specific wordbooks.
• Focus on key vocabulary and ideas. The pupil can:
- trace, draw pictures, maps or diagrams and label them with words,
phrases or short sentences supplied by the teacher and/or label in L1;
- write true and false about a given statement,
- fill in blanks with words and phrases from a given list;
- copy sentences by choosing one of two alternatives;
- sequence pictures and/or sentences.
• Use culturally relevant materials and topics wherever possible.
• Ensure that the pupil has the keyboard skills required to use a computer for writing tasks and has their password for use of the school computers in the LRC.