Intermediate EAL learners have developed a certain level of fluency in spoken English, allowing them to communicate with peers effectively in the school environment. However, they may still benefit from building topic-related vocabulary aligned with curriculum demands and receiving structured support to help them develop their accuracy and confidence in English. Many of the strategies we use with EAL learners in the early stages of language learning will still be appropriate with intermediate EAL learners, but with increased complexity in the language and content offered. (NASSEA, 2015).
Some crucial considerations when planning to accommodate for intermediate-level EAL learners’ needs may include:
- Language input: What language will EAL learners be exposed to in class (e.g. what texts will they be reading?). Are they familiar with the text types and vocabulary they will encounter?
- Language output: What language will they need to use to perform classroom activities? Do they have the necessary vocabulary already or do we need to help them build it before our lessons?
According to Krashen’s theory of comprehensible input, whereby learning is more effective when lessons are targeted at a slightly higher level than a learner’s current level (Krashen, 2004), assessing and understanding their current level of ability will inform the planning of appropriate activities to help deepen comprehension and/or ensure successful language production.
Building oracy before literacy
Helping EAL learners build their oracy skills, i.e. their ability to communicate through speaking and listening in social interactions (Mercer & Mannion, 2018), before they get to write can help enhance their overall academic achievement. Through emphasising on meaningful conversations in class and carefully structured classroom talk, more capable learners can become language models for your EAL learners and offer them an opportunity for implicit language learning in your class (NASSEA, 2015). So next time your learners need to write a story or a non-chronological report, why not plan for some collaborative writing tasks to allow EAL learners to discuss their language and content choices and learn from their peers?
Modelling a variety of genres
In the last decade, research shows that EAL children have been found to be underperforming in their writing performance on national tests compared to their monolingual peers (Booton et al, 2025), with some studies also indicating that certain text types and genres (e.g. factual reports) may be more challenging for EAL children (Riches & Genesee, 2004). As a result, careful planning for systematic exposure to various genres and texts will be beneficial for multilingual learners to ensure that they notice text conventions in English and understand the key characteristics of different text types.
Apart from exposure to different texts, the systematic modelling of different text types by the teacher is fundamental for EAL learners. The process of writing requires writers to be able to co-ordinate information at word, sentence, and text level and EAL learners may find this co-ordination of different levels of writing production extra challenging (Cameron & Besser, 2004). Walqui and van Lier (2010) point out the importance of sentence starters, topic-related discussions, and teacher modelling to enable students to express complex ideas with increased accuracy. They found that EAL learners engaged in argumentative writing through extensive teacher modelling demonstrated higher rates of cohesion, better use of academic vocabulary, and increased clarity in their writing. For a detailed plan and practical ideas on helping EAL learners develop their writing skills, read our article on how EAL learners can become effective writers. To assist your learners in expanding their sentences and improving their writing skills, download our ‘Step-by-step sentence expansion guide’ by clicking on the button at the top or bottom of this article.
Vocabulary development should always be considered an integral part of literacy development. Intermediate-level EAL learners may rely on their home languages a lot less than they used to but they often still require to build their vocabulary to successfully complete certain tasks. They may also need to better understand and reflect on how word choices can change meaning or tone in a text. Tasks, such as rewriting sentences using more advanced vocabulary, or actively discussing the effect of word choices on the reader are examples of how explicit instruction can become meaningful practice for their vocabulary development in your classes.
References
Booton, S., Menon, P., Kyriacou, M. & Murphy, V. A., (2025). Exploring the writing attainment gap: Profiling writing challenges and predictors for children with English as an additional language. Reading and Writing: (38) 843–86.
Cameron, L. & Besser, S. (2004). Writing in English as an Additional Language at Key Stage 2. Department for Education and Skills. Research Report 586. Nottingham: DfES Publications.
Krashen, S.D. (2004). The Power of Reading. Insights from the Research. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Mercer, N. & Mannion, J. (2018). Oracy across the Welsh curriculum: A research-based review: Key principles and recommendations for teachers. Oracy Cambridge. Available here.
Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement. (2015). EAL assessment framework. NASSEA.
Riches, C. & Genesee, F. (2004). Literacy: Crosslinguistic and Crossmodal Issues. In F. Genesee, K. Lindholm-Leary, W. M. Saunders, & D. Christian (Eds.), Educating English Language Learners: A Synthesis of Research Evidence (pp. 109-175). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Walqui, A., & van Lier, L. (2010). Scaffolding the academic success of adolescent English language learners: A pedagogy of promise. WestEd.
