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Spelling support for EAL learners

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

Many of us have learnt to spell as a child without being specifically taught the sounds. In the past, the teaching of phonics was discouraged in schools, however, we learnt a lot through sounding out words independently. At a recent course on voice production, the importance of vowel sounds was emphasised as central to pronunciation. They were also emphasised as central to sounding out to help with spelling. Chunking (breaking up words into syllables) also helps to sound out and spell longer more challenging words.


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open book with colourful graphics
Created: Wed 6th Nov 2024

Importance of English language proficiency in school settings

Have you ever considered to what extent a learner’s English language proficiency level affects their academic success in English-medium school?

English language proficiency is usually measured by learners’ ability to use English effectively in different contexts, i.e. how well they can speak, listen, understand, read and write in English. 

EAL and language learning mindmap
Created: Mon 16th Aug 2021

You're the EAL lead in your school - or a teacher with responsibility for EAL. You're a class teacher who's been asked to look into EAL - or a teaching assistant who runs a special EAL group. But do your colleagues really know what you do? Do they know what EAL is - and why it matters for all staff in a school, and not just you?

Multilingual class
Created: Sun 23rd Jan 2022

If Katerina spoke in Russian again in the classroom, the teacher warned her, her name would be put on the board and she would miss out on certain privileges. 'Katerina' - a seven-year-old Russian speaker newly arrived in the UK - was finding it difficult to let go of her mother tongue (also referred to as 'home language', 'first language' or 'L1') in class, to the frustration of her teacher. Her story is the central point of a recent research paper by Olena Gundarina and James Simpson (see References below).

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The role of an EAL teacher

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

In previous articles we discussed the need for learners to obtain Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). These skills need to be the initial focus of learning alongside curriculum content in the early days. Class teachers are required to make significant adjustments to their programme of learning which is not an easy task, especially for those teachers who are new to teaching foreign languages.


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Teenagers reading
Created: Thu 1st Sep 2022

A wide reading programme is promoted as a key vehicle for learners of English as an additional language (EAL) to improve their English language skills and become successful readers in English. Typically, such a programme involves learners being exposed to an extensive variety of reading materials both as independent readers and in structured sessions facilitated by a teacher or teaching assistant.

Created: Thu 5th Jun 2014

New to English can be supported in many different ways. Here's one school's approach:

Assessment

All learning is based on assessment. Children arrive and sit a baseline assessment. After analysis of result children are provided with appropriate provision. Interim progress reports on progression in EAL, phonics and writing are reviewed every half term.

Beginners

Beginner EAL Learning Intervention (EAL Intervention)

Secondary EAL learners doing a group activity
Created: Tue 1st Jul 2025

It is widely accepted that learners absorb and retain more information when they are engaged and having fun in the language classroom. Interaction between learners will occur naturally and consequently provide an environment for authentic communication practice. For the purpose of this blog, the word ‘fun’ is interpreted as being entertaining and engaging. A good test, as suggested by Wright, Betteridge and Buckby (2009), might be to ask: ‘Would the learners be happy to do this activity in their own language?’

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Supporting Intermediate EAL learners

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

The transition from EAL beginner to intermediate learner can take from one term to a year depending on the learner. 


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Created: Fri 7th Jul 2017

Although Inclusion is a central theme of UK policy, there are limited directives on EAL provision in mainstream classes (Costley 2014) This can have implications for international environments too, which model their practice on the UK or have UK trained teachers. Policy has significant implications for teachers who may be underprepared to support EAL pupils.

Created: Mon 13th Apr 2015

The transition from EAL beginner to intermediate learner can take from one term to a year depending on the learner. 

Created: Wed 6th Jan 2016

Language learning strategies are tools to facilitate language learning that should be adapted to suit the needs of each individual.

There aren't a set of language learning strategies that makes you a perfect language learner, each student learns differently. However, there are some guidelines on the strategies others have found successful that can be provided to students to help them make more effective use of their time studying.  It's important that students understand how they learn and what strategies are more effective than others.

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EAL assessment continuum

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

Including a useful EAL Progress Review and links to different EAL assessment continua

When teaching EAL, assessment procedures need to be in place in order to have a concrete analysis of student starting points.

This area is a minefield! Without other references or expertise to hand, a new teacher often turns to an expert for help… Google! Results popping up on the first page of a search shows the Oxford placement tests on the first page, but are they the answer?


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Created: Tue 25th Apr 2017

Play is a crucial part of language development and ideas for play and games are an essential part of any teacher’s toolkit. One of the most informal and obvious contexts for language development takes place in the playground for any child (Pinter, 2006). Children will often pick up every day language from their peers and this can be an essential part of their learning. Pinter (2006) explains that when a child moves to a new country, after the initial silent phase, children will then start to pick up phrases, conversation language and so-called playground language fairly fast.

illustration of arms holding up multilingual phrases
Created: Wed 25th Oct 2023

你好 Привіт Merhaba Здравей Buna ziua ہیلو Cześć

How often do you hear these in the school playground? And actually, not just in the playground… Do you know which language they are from? Have a guess!

(Here is the answer: Mandarin, Ukrainian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Urdu, Polish)

EAL parents sustainability workshop
Created: Mon 10th Mar 2025

As teachers, we recognise that meaningful home-school communication is essential for establishing school practices and instilling positive life values that will guide our learners throughout their lives.

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Differentiating learning

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

Whilst reading a book on reclaiming childhood ('Their name is today' by Johann Christoph Arnold) the chapter on 'learning differences and how to cater for them' triggered thoughts on teaching differences. At the end of the October article it was mentioned that EAL teaching should be evaluated in a different way due to the very nature of the subject and I shall try to clarify why.


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Created: Fri 8th Jul 2016

Most schools with early stage learners of English will have some form of guided reading record. This record supports the learner, parents and the teacher in acknowledging, monitoring progress and rewarding good reading habits. We do this because we know the profound influence reading has on progress in literacy (not just reading alone. Try reading Krashen, the Power of Reading, 2004).

However, have you considered the impact of a similar record for learning EAL through the use of flashcard activities?

Graphic about assessment steps
Created: Wed 6th Aug 2025

Assessment is a natural and integral part of effective teaching, with teachers continually assessing learner progress and identifying next steps for teaching and learning (DfE, 2020). Teachers assess learners for multiple reasons but one of the most pressing tasks for teachers is to assess their newly-arrived EAL learners’ level of English proficiency.

Created: Sat 30th May 2015

In previous articles we discussed the need for learners to obtain Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). These skills need to be the initial focus of learning alongside curriculum content in the early days. Class teachers are required to make significant adjustments to their programme of learning which is not an easy task, especially for those teachers who are new to teaching foreign languages.

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Bridging cultures and celebrating differences

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

Last week I saw a film called 'Shadow in Baghdad', it was a film that pulled my heart strings. I was brought up in Manchester, both my parents spoke Arabic at home, both were from Baghdad. What struck me the most after I watched the film was how much I missed hearing that particular dialect of Arabic, the familiarity and warmth of the Middle Eastern people, the sense of security that came with it as well as a sense of longing and regret for a disappearing culture.


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Speech bubble showing different languages
Created: Thu 9th Mar 2023

A growing number of international schools are demonstrating the importance and value of their students’ and teachers’ ‘first languages’ by celebrating International Mother Language Day. This annual event (held on 21st February each year) was celebrated at the start of this century by the UN Declaration. Simply put, the purpose of International Mother Language Day is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

substitution table
Created: Fri 6th Mar 2020

Effective assessment for learning (AfL) is ‘informed feedback to pupils about their work’ (Shaw, 1998). As Broadfoot et al discuss, there are five key ways that we can enhance learning by assessment. These steps can be universally applied to all learning and all learners, and thus address the learning needs of EAL learners. They are: 

Created: Thu 5th Jun 2014

Everyone is talking about differentiation for EAL in whole class teaching, but how do we actually approach it consistently and effectively?

At Across Cultures we have been developing some systematic ways of approaching this in a structured, yet flexible format. In the downloadable plan you'll see a framework to support EAL teachers with planning for content learning alongside language learning. The plan is based about the theme of sea pollution and provides a writing frame for a persuasive text.

This lesson follow a particular format:

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Valuing bilingualism

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

The language show this year in Olympia made me even more aware of the gift of having more than one language. One of the stand's motto was 'monolingualism can be cured', another 'Speak to the Future' (www.speaktothefuture.org) campaigns to promote the teaching of languages in schools in the UK. Since this September all children in primary schools will be taught a language as the government finally realised that, in a mobile world, a second language is essential for a country's economic development.


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Graph and problem-solving activity
Created: Wed 4th Mar 2020

It is often easier for learners who are new to English to cope with the arithmetic areas of the mathematics curriculum, rather than with problem-solving activities, as the former require the use of less English. It is important that children learning EAL are familiar with and able to use mathematical language to achieve their potential in all areas of the subject.

SEND learner using speech sounds
Created: Wed 13th Nov 2024

In English, there are 44 speech sounds. Creating speech sounds is a more complex process than you might think! It requires the coordination of different muscles and structures. The lips, tongue, teeth and other parts of our mouth all play an important role. Where learners have difficulties creating certain sounds, their fluency, ability to be understood and confidence in speaking aloud can all be affected.

substitution table
Created: Fri 6th Mar 2020

Effective assessment for learning (AfL) is ‘informed feedback to pupils about their work’ (Shaw, 1998). As Broadfoot et al discuss, there are five key ways that we can enhance learning by assessment. These steps can be universally applied to all learning and all learners, and thus address the learning needs of EAL learners. They are: 

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Welcoming new EAL arrivals

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

Cross Cultural Understanding for New to English Students – The First Steps (Part 2)


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Created: Mon 6th Nov 2017

Academia Británica Cuscatleca (ABC) in El Salvador joined the Learning Village in April 2015.  However, they weren't fully active across Upper Primary until Communication Across Cultures came to their school in February this year to give an inset on EAL. 

Since then, they have used the Learning Village to support learners with accessing some of the basics of English as well as the curriculum content needed to help them to be successful in their lessons.

Kinaesthetic Learning with beans
Created: Thu 27th Nov 2025

Kinaesthetic learning - or ‘learning by doing’ - involves physical and hands-on activities. Learners may prefer to touch, feel, and experience things first hand, and thrive on movement, exploration, and interaction with the world around them. For many learners, including those with certain SEND needs such as autism and ADHD, this approach is engaging, motivating, and effective in supporting learning retention and understanding.

Created: Wed 10th Jan 2024

Parental involvement in education contributes to a stronger and more inclusive school community. Engaging parents in their children’s education is also a fundamental aspect of creating a supportive learning environment for our learners and has been associated with a positive impact on learner performance (Khan, 1996).

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Do you have a large number of EAL learners aged 3-4?

Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

As a Head of Early Years in an international school following the EYFS and IPC curriculums it has always been important to ensure that the teaching of the English language is done in the classroom without the help of specialist EAL support. Early years teachers are great physical, visual talkers!

One of the key principles of teaching in the Early Years is that bilingualism has an advantage and that as the first language it has a continuing and significant role in identity, learning and the acquisition of additional languages.


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Illustration of a book with multiple subjects
Created: Mon 20th May 2024

What does ‘cross-curricular teaching’ mean?

Beckmann (2009) defines the term ‘cross-curricular teaching’ as ‘instruction within a field in which subject boundaries are crossed and other subjects are integrated into the teaching (how and for whatever purpose or objective)’.

Similarly, see here for guidance on CLIL (content and language integrated learning) teaching.

Teenagers reading
Created: Thu 1st Sep 2022

A wide reading programme is promoted as a key vehicle for learners of English as an additional language (EAL) to improve their English language skills and become successful readers in English. Typically, such a programme involves learners being exposed to an extensive variety of reading materials both as independent readers and in structured sessions facilitated by a teacher or teaching assistant.

Created: Wed 4th Feb 2015

Including a useful EAL Progress Review and links to different EAL assessment continua

When teaching EAL, assessment procedures need to be in place in order to have a concrete analysis of student starting points.

This area is a minefield! Without other references or expertise to hand, a new teacher often turns to an expert for help… Google! Results popping up on the first page of a search shows the Oxford placement tests on the first page, but are they the answer?

Back to Blog

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