To mute or to unmute? To reply to one or everyone? To use gallery or speaker view?
Like it or not, everyone involved in education in early 2021 is learning a relatively new and constantly evolving language... the language of digital/online/remote learning. Of course, having access to digital devices - and the Wi-Fi or data to use them - as well as the ongoing support of teachers and parents, are vital for pupils, but remote learning also needs a degree of fluency in the language of 'online English'. Arguably true for all pupils, I'm going to focus in this article on those pupils who are 'remote learning' through English as an Additional Language (EAL) - and specifically, those at the early stages of English language acquisition.
I've been lucky enough to have worked with hundreds of teachers (mainly primary) in London and Bristol over the years, exploring together how to identify and develop effective strategies for teaching EAL pupils. Does this EAL pedagogy apply to online learning? From my perspective, the answer is a resounding 'yes'. Can we use our EAL expertise when planning and teaching online lessons? Yes! In our changed world of having to spend huge amounts of energy on digital development, let's remember that our teaching skills and expertise remain - and let's find new ways of applying them to the online learning context.
Ahead of this, let's remind ourselves of some key elements of EAL pedagogy:
Regardless of the curriculum focus, it can be useful to consider elements 1-3 above when planning a lesson or series of lessons for a topic in any subject area. As remote learning is the topic of interest here, I'm going to suggest some content and strategies to develop early stage EAL learners' fluency in 'online English', so that they can better engage remotely.
The resource accompanying this article gives examples about how to consider these elements when planning lessons for the topic of 'online English', including vocabulary and language structure flashcards. You can download the resource by clicking on the buttons at the top and bottom of this article.
It's all about access and comprehensibility. As in the face-to-face classroom, pupils at the earlier stages of English language acquisition will be better able to understand and respond during online lessons when the language - in relation to the content - is made clear, starting with fluency in 'online English'.
References:
"One look is worth a thousand words." Barnard (1921), Chinese proverb.
Images are powerful as they can usually be interpreted regardless of the language spoken.
Someone sitting alone isn’t always negative. A title can make all the difference. For example, ‘Hope!’ What does this picture mean to you? ‘Alone!’ Now what does it mean?
How can the new-to-English language learners and their teachers work together to provide a successful language learning experience when curriculum content is the priority? Rubin & Thompson (1982) researched and found 14 characteristics of a good language learner.
If each characteristic of a good language learner can be developed for young learners into a ‘child friendly’ question, translated into their mother tongue (maybe orally) and unpicked, question by question, each characteristic can act as a guide for learners to try out new strategies.
If you have EAL new arrivals in your school with limited English, you need a scheme of work in English that supports learners with language learning alongside the curriculum content you are delivering. This is to ensure young learners are understanding the basics of language needed for success.
Learning can be split into two parts:
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